Vice-Chancellor's Reading Today column - January 2022

Vice-Chancellor Robert Van de Noort has a monthly column with Reading Today and Wokingham today, where he shares University news and updates with the local community. 

We exist to be a University for Reading

I always like the start of a new year. It’s a chance to re-focus our priorities after the Christmas break and look ahead to new opportunities on the horizon.

Despite the additional uncertainties around Covid towards the end of last year, I am pleased that we have been able to start the new term with students back on campus and the continuation of face-to-face teaching. We are, of course, continuing to implement extra measures to ensure the safety of our colleagues and students. But we know that many students benefit so much more from in-person teaching, so it is important that we strive to make this possible where we can.

As we march on into 2022, one thing I am particularly looking forward to is hearing more about how our new Community Fund initiative is helping local communities in and around Reading and Wokingham. We launched this scheme last year, in partnership with the John Sykes Foundation. This is the first year of a two-year pilot which sees both organisations contributing financial support to projects that benefit the people and community of Reading and surrounding areas.

Last summer, we invited University staff members to apply for funding to support projects they are involved with either as part of their job, or in a voluntary capacity. We received a great response with 29 applications for funding. It made the job of the funding award panel rather tough, but, in the end, we chose 12 projects covering a diverse range of areas, including art, music, education, sport and heritage, which are aimed at helping those with disabilities, the homeless, refugees, school pupils and many more.

A total of £50,000 was donated. Among other projects, the money will help fund a refugee football team based in Reading, helping Reading's homeless develop work skills and build confidence, and improving literacy in young children from disadvantaged backgrounds. My personal favourite is a project to make Reading Old Cemetery, a wonderful place for contemplation and wildlife, more accessible.

We are working on a series of case studies of each of the projects so we can understand the impact the money has made and the benefits that local people have seen. And we will open the funding round again later this year, so that we can help even more community projects. I hope that these initial projects will encourage others to participate in the future. After all, as a University we exist to be a University For Reading, as well as the University of Reading.

Of course, my thanks goes to the John Sykes Foundation, without whom this initiative would not be possible. I know that the work of voluntary groups and charities across Reading and Wokingham already does a huge amount to improve the lives and well-being of individuals and communities, so we really appreciate the ongoing support for this scheme. It is a great example of what can be achieved when we work together.

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