Community & Charity Events

Your Local Community or Charity Event

At Our Campus Venues

Charitable and community events are an important aspect of everyday life – they help encourage people to play a more active part in their local community. Events may celebrate a particular occasion, raise funds for a good cause or simply bring people in a community closer together.

Why book an event at the University of Reading?

Venue Reading has worked with a range of local community groups and charities over the years and the University of Reading is actively involved in supporting charitable causes and engaging with the local community.

Here are some key initiatives and events:

Charity of the Year Scheme:

The University selects a single charity to support throughout the academic year. This includes awareness-raising, staff fundraising, volunteering opportunities, and collaborative research. For the 2024/25 academic year, the chosen charity is Rainbow Trust, which supports families caring for children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses. For more information, visit the Charity of the Year Scheme page.

Community Engagement:

The University works closely with local partners to benefit the lives of the local community in Reading, Wokingham, and the Thames Valley. This includes events, outreach programs, and community-based research projects. The University’s Engagement Fund (CEF) sets aside a total of £30,000 every year to support local charities and community groups’ projects across the Thames Valley region. You can find out more and apply by visiting the Community Engagement Fund page.

Events & Fundraisers:

The University hosts various events to support charitable causes. For example, the Reading Rotary Santa Run is an annual festive charity event held on the Whiteknights campus, with funds raised benefiting local charities. The Reading Toy Run, set off from the Thames Valley Science Park last year. For the last couple of years, the Hospitality team have provided the catering for the Whitley CDA (Whitley Community Development Association) their Christmas lunch, bringing together some of the community that may be older and isolated. Venue Reading is also involved in the University Community Festival.

Volunteering:

University staff and students are encouraged to participate in volunteering activities to support local charities and community initiatives. These colleagues/students are then eligible for a celebration of volunteering award.

What can I organise with Venue Reading?

A photo of the Meadow Suite in lecture theatre chairs setup

Host a conference or meeting

We have a number of all year round venues and additional spaces with facilities for larger conferences during the Easter and Summer period.

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A photo of Meadow Suite with 60th birthday balloons

Planning a party?

We have a number of venues located in traditional setting of Park House on the Whiteknights Campus, a perfect place for all types of events including private parties, functions, and other special occasions.

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Concerts

A beautiful Grade 2 listed building which was opened in 1905, the Great Hall has a fixed stage with a magnificent organ and grand piano, ample space for a choir and orchestra, and can seat audiences of 350 to 500.

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Celebration of Life Events

We know this is a difficult time for you, and our aim is to simplify the planning of your loved one’s Celebration of Life event. We offer a variety of private function spaces suitable for 20 to 500 guests.

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Staying nearby

With the closure of the Cedars Hotel Venue Reading have obtained preferential rates for anyone visiting the University who needs to stay close to campus. Click below to view alternative accommodation options for your stay nearby.

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Filming at the University of Reading

The Venue Reading team have hosted a number of film production companies on our campuses – whether it be for a film or commercial, we have access to a wide selection of internal and external settings for commercial and non-commercial filming.

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Events at with Venue Henley at our Greenlands Campus

Set in its own 30 acre estate in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, alongside the River Thames, the magnificent Grade II Listed Henley Business School estate offers excellent conference, meeting and event facilities all year round along with 100 double en-suite bedrooms.

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Meet on campus informally

Meet informally in any of our bars, pubs or campus cafés that are open to our local community to visit on a daily basis. Please note there is no need to book and tables are available first come first served basis to meet and purchase food/drinks. Click find out more for opening times of the various campus outlets.

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Launch Venue Reading Walking Routes

Find your way to our campus venues from the car park. Use at walking pace on the day and see a faster version if you want to familiarise yourself before arriving.

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Venue Reading will help you with your next event

At the University of Reading, the Venue Reading Team host a variety of events and with our charitable status established by the Royal Charter, every penny from each invoice goes directly back into the University. As a non-profit organisation, we reinvest funds to benefit education and the community, rather than distributing them to shareholders as other venues do. Think of it as a way to give back while enjoying our exceptional services whilst meeting your own organisations goals and objectives.

Why Venue Reading?

Availability:
We don’t just have term time availability, we have dedicated all-year round venues such as the Meadow Suite, Blandford’s, Sibly, Morley in Park House on the Whiteknights Campus. Take a virtual tour of Park House, Palmer etc.

Facilities:
Our venues offer the AV facilities you will need, comfortable seating arrangements, catering options, free parking and our venues are accessible.

Competitive Rates:
We understand the importance of maximising every penny to support your cause, which is why we can work with you to reduce your bill by 20% (saving on the VAT if you are eligible). We also look at what others in the local area are offering to ensure we are providing the best value. Don’t forget as mentioned above, we are a not for profit organisation and anything we invoice goes back into the University towards educating future professionals and not to company shareholders.

Promotion and Publicity:
Working with us means gaining access to our extensive network and promotional channels. We can work together to spread the word and attract attendees where there is a link within the University, we are more than happy to facilitate an introduction. We’ll also help you advertise your event with ‘What’s on Reading’.

Long-Term Partnerships:
We believe in building lasting relationships with charities. By hosting your event at our venue, you become part of a community that values giving back and could be picked for the charity of the year.

Experienced Event Coordinators:
The Venue Reading Team are experts, we organise events on a daily basis, it may be something you do as part of a wider to do list so let the experts support you giving you time to concentrate on the content to meet your event objectives.

Virtual Tours

Get a feel for the place with 360 tours of some of our venues.

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University of Reading Local Community Guide

University of Reading Visitor Guide

Our campuses are open to everyone. We encourage you to visit us, explore some of the amazing spaces on offer, and join us at our events. Download our visitor guide to find out more.

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Ready to make a difference? Contact our team today to discuss how we can support your event. Together, we can create impactful experiences and support important causes in our community.

Use the enquiry form button on this page as you scroll or email info@venuereading.com or call the team on 0118 378 5657.

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+44 (0) 118 378 5657 info@venuereading.com