Providing support for young people aged 16 – 25 who are not in education, employment or training, through mentoring and work experience.
We are passionate about thanking those who support Starting Point.
Thank you to Reading Family Church. Reading Family Church are the co-founders of Starting Point. In addition, the church generously gifts the project and provides valuable mentors.
To see how you can support us please click below.
We are passionate about thanking those who support Starting Point.
Thank you to Brighter Futures for Children. We receive the majority of referrals through Brighter Futures for Children plus we work together to strategically meet identified needs in Reading Borough.
To see how you can support us please click below.
We are passionate about thanking those who support Starting Point.
The Longleigh Foundation have committed to financially supporting Starting Point for 3 years, enabling the project to scale up delivery and reach more young people.
To see how your business can support us please click below.
We are passionate about thanking those who support Starting Point.
Thank you to McDonalds who have helped support our work at Starting Point by providing work experience opportunities for multiple young people, allowing them to gain the experience they need to enter into work. Daniel, one of our young people has been working at McDonalds for 6 months you can watch his story here.
To see how your business can support us please click below.
// THANK YOU TO THE FSP FOUNDATION //
We are passionate about thanking those who support Starting Point.
Thank you to The FSP Foundation – a separate grant making charitable foundation set up by Field Seymour Parkes LLP (FSP), a full service legal practice that provide pragmatic solution driven advice for both business and personal affairs. As part of their commitment to CSR, FSP have set up The FSP Foundation with the aim of benefitting and serving local registered charities in the Thames Valley area. The FSP Foundation has sponsored one of our young people for this year as they journey into education, employment or training. This has already provided the young person with a mentor and a mock interview demonstrating FSP’s commitment to making real difference to local’s lives.
We are passionate about thanking those who support Starting Point.
Thank you to AMITO – experts in cloud, collocation and connectivity, who have sponsored a young person as they journey into education, employment or training. Plus a generous donation towards our ‘Young Person Support Fund’ allows us to support multiple young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with interview clothes, travel to interviews and work related documentation. Therefore, this sponsorship and donation are removing barriers and making a real impact to local lives and the wider community.
To see how your business can support us please click below.
We are passionate about thanking those who support Starting Point.
Thank you to PEGA UK who enabled some of their team to share there skills over 3 days at Starting Point as part of the their Corporate Social Responsibility. In their day job the PEGA team offer pathways to making digital transformation a reality. However, through simply offering their time and skills at Starting Point they played their part in supporting us to see a transformation in the lives of local young people.
To see how your business can support us please click below.
What comes to mind when somebody says the word ‘Berkshire’? Likely the first thing you’ll think of is the town of Windsor and Windsor Castle. Perhaps Legoland or maybe even large towns such as Reading and Maidenhead. But what if I tell you there is a vast number of generous supporters connected with local charities through the Berkshire Community Foundation. The work these charities do transforms not only the lives of those they work with, but also the community around them.
On 16th May 2019, over 80 guests gathered together at the beautiful Ascot Racecourse for Berkshire Community Foundation’s Celebrating Impact: Showcase Event, an event celebrating the achievements and developments of local charities and projects. The groups were invited because of their strong focus and impact on those in need or who are disadvantaged.
Beginning with canapes and drinks, the evening transitioned to a small awards ceremony introduced by BBC Radio Berkshire Sports Presenter Ady Williams, and Chris Dodson OBE DL, Chair of Trustees at BCF, starting with a video showing BCF’s highlights over the past year. Each award winner was introduced through a similar videos with interviews from staff/volunteers and those they have helped. The six awards and winners were:
Content Guru Sponsor Award – Connecting Communities in Berkshire
David Brownlow Charitable Foundation Sponsor Award – Building for the Future
Ascot Racecourse Supports Sponsor Award – Aik Saath
Vital Signs Award – The Mustard Tree – Starting Point
Police and Crime Commissioner Award – Mock Trials
Mary Bayliss Award – Parents and Children Together
Lady Cathrine Stevenson DL presented the Mary Bayliss Award, which was named in honour and memory of Mary Bayliss, the president of BCF and former Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, who sadly passed in March 2019. The evening was brought to a close by Ady Williams and Chris Dodson.
It was an honour and privilege to attend BCF’s showcase event and to receive an award that celebrates the invaluable support and work from our staff, volunteers, supporters, and also our mentees.
It was a real privilege being invited to such a well put together and celebratory evening. Berkshire Community Foundation have been key in the success of Starting Point, not only in awarding grants but in their ongoing support and encouragement.
Sam Lloyd – Starting Point Manager
We look forward to working with BCF for many years to come.
For more information on the evening, please click on and follow the link to BCF’s own blog about the ceremony: http://www.berkshirecf.org/showcase2019
Starting Point would like to thank acknowledge the Berkshire Community Foundation for supporting us and our work.
BCF is a foundation that raises funds for local charities and groups and equips them with grants to help build a stronger and fairer Berkshire.
First supporting Starting Point in 2015, BCF has supported our project over 3 years through mulitple grants around areas such as youth volunteering, recruiting mentors, project development and general running costs.
However, BCF is special and unique when it comes to bid writing and project shaping. They are very relational in their communications around applications and reports. They also hold an annual symposium which is a brilliant networking and equipping event for multiple charities across the county.
Without BCF, Starting Point wouldn’t have had the means to mentor over 120 young people in the local area and battle the root issues regarding unemployment.
Thank you BCF!
“I have been privileged to witness first-hand the very real and transformative impact BCF’s support has had on the lives of local young people.”
Sam Lloyd – Starting Point Project Manager
