our staff
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Richard's role is to provide vision and leadership so that RVA can build the capacity of the local VCS and strengthen its voice; to promote the role and value of the sector to the public and to key agencies and partnerships which influence the life of the local community; to support the Board of Trustees in carrying out its governance responsibilities and ensure the organisation has the resources necessary to carry out these functions.
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Yasmin develops, organises and administers a programme of forum events in response to the needs of the local voluntary and community sectors. Yasmin is part of the Stronger Together team that coordinates the core activities and provides administrative support to four key forums in Reading; The Forum, Faith Forum, SAKOMA and RCVYS. Her main responsibility lies with SAKOMA, the Black and Minority network. However she also shares joint responsibilities for RCVYS with the other two coordinators.
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Merlyn is RVA's training co-ordinator and as such has special responsibility for volunteer training and working with local voluntary groups on the ground to identify and provide for their training needs.
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Clare is an outreach worker providing a specialist advisory service for people working in the Reading area who are interested in finding out about local volunteering vacancies, but who cannot visit the Volunteer Centre during its opening hours. She will advise people by appointment, at their workplace or other convenient location.
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Hazel oversees the staff and workplan of the Volunteer Centre, which promotes volunteering in the Reading area. Her broader role includes leading RVA's marketing, IT and communications work. Hazel is a VCS Forum elected representative on Reading's Local Strategic Partnership and acting Chair of ChangeUp Reading, the consortium which brings together voluntary and public organisations to support and strengthen local charities and community groups.
0118 958 4849
Anna develops, organises and administers a programme of forum events in response to the needs of the local voluntary and community sectors. Anna is part of the Stronger Together team that coordinates the core activities and provides administrative support to four key forums in Reading; The Forum, Faith Forum, SAKOMA and RCVYS. Her main responsibility lies with The Forum. However she also shares joint responsibilities for RCVYS with the other two forum coordinators.
0118 958 4849
Jan develops, organises and administers a programme of forum events in response to the needs of the local voluntary and community sectors. Jan is part of the Stronger Together team that coordinates the core activities and provides administrative support to four key forums in Reading; The Forum, Faith Forum, SAKOMA and RCVYS. Her main responsibility lies with the Faith Forum. However she also shares joint responsibilities for RCVYS with the other two coordinators.
0118 958 4849
Elaine's role is to promote and to inform people about the Reading Local Involvement Network (LINk). She works to gather and report feedback from local groups and the general public to the Commissioners of Services, both about services provided and about service deficits. She supports the LINk Coordinator in implementing the programme.
Tom is employed by RVA on behalf of Reading Faith Forum as their Development Worker (part-time) within the Building for Strength Project, funded by The BIG Lottery.
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To carry out day to day office administration duties in support of the activities of the LINk team and Stronger Together Team. To lend secretarial support to monthly LINk Board meetings, place stationery orders and maintain the stock, update information on the RVA database.
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Jean is responsible for the smooth operation of administrative systems at our main office in Cross Street. She is also RVA's Company Secretary.
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Margaret works part time with the Volunteer Centre team to help gather the outcomes data we need to meet our Local Area Agreement monitoring requirements and evidence the benefit of our service.
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Anne supports the voluntary sector's role in the planning and delivery of health and social services in the Reading area. Partnership is the key word because the modern agenda requires statutory and voluntary agencies to work together rather than going their separate ways. Managing the Stronger Together Programme, working in close liaison with four fora including The Forum (Reading Voluntary Sector Forum), is central to this work.
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Michele is responsible for the team of volunteer advisors who provide the volunteer matching service and ensures that all enquiries about volunteering opportunities are dealt with effectively. Michele is available to talk with organisations about their volunteering requirements.
As part of the Stronger Together team to support voluntary, community and faith (VCF) sector input to the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) through discussions with key VCF representatives and Board members, distribution of the Stronger Together newsletter and support for the Social Inclusion Advisory Group (SIAG).
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Sheena has responsibility for the day to day running of the Reading LINk; providing support to the LINk Board, planning and implementing engagement with local groups and the general public to promote and involve people in the LINk, day to day contact with statutory bodies such as RBC and PCT and generally ensuring RVA are meeting contract requirements as host of the LINk within budget.
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Jim ensures that RVA's financial reporting sytems, payments and accounts are maintained, working closely with RVA's Treasurer to this effect.
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Rachel advises voluntary and community groups on legal and technical issues e.g. employment law, health and safety, data protection, charity law, etc. She also organises affordable local training on these issues.
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Nakhat provides funding advice to Reading's voluntary and community groups: one-to-one funding advice; help with identifying appropriate funding sources; project, budget and strategy planning; group advice sessions and training.
our trustees
Following his career with the Post Office, Peter has given 10 years voluntary service with the Reading Federation of Tenants' and Residents' Associations (RFTRA), as a treasurer, Safer Reading delegate and also a RFTRA representative on the Local Strategic Partnership. Peter is currently chair of RFTRA's Joint Environment Committee, treasurer of both Southcote GLOBE (Go Local On a Better Environment) and Southcote Residents' Association, as well as being Vice Chair of Southcote Labour Party.
On retirement from a career in local education Norma joined the team at what was then the newly opened Volunteer Bureau. She was elected to the Board when the Volunteer Centre became part of Reading Voluntary Action.
With 18 years of Youth and Community Work experience all within the Voluntary Sector, Bianca has worked across 3 London Boroughs (Newham, Sutton and Merton), Dorset and now Berkshire. Bianca has supported many strategic forums such as COMPACT Reading, Change Up Reading and Children and Young Peoples Voluntary Sector Forum. She is currently Youth Action Manager for Berkshire Association of Clubs for Young People and manage the National Youth Volunteering Programme vinvolved, Berkshire Wide.
Katherine is a qualified chartered accountant. By profession she is a corporate tax advisor working for a global professional services firm. Her interests outside of work include cycling, theatre, music and reading.
Sarah is an Organisational Development Consultant for the VCS, with particular expertise in governance and management. Her employment history includes special needs housing and local authorities and she is a volunteer with the charity Daisy's Dream.
An RVA trustee since 1999, Ruth's background is in marketing and communications. At Reading Borough Council she worked as Marketing Manager for Reading Theatres before moving to Thames Water and then The Watermill Theatre in Newbury. She set up the vcs organisation 'Connect Reading' in 2004. As a trustee for RVA she has worked on policies, marketing, the strategic plan and the management and policies committee. She is also currently working on the 'Stronger Together' committee.
John works in the Human Resources profession with over twenty-five years' experience in large companies in the UK, Tunisia, Kazakhstan and UAE. He moved to Reading in 1997 and has volunteered at his local church and the schools his children attended. His commercial awareness gained in many different environments enable him to make a positive contribution to RVA in supporting the voluntary sector in Reading.
