Starting Point

We had such a lovely time coming together for Volunteer Week.

It was great to share food, spend time catching up, and take part in a really helpful resilience training session with Ali – thank you!

A huge thank you to all our fantastic volunteers. Your support makes such a difference to the people we work with, and we’re so grateful for everything you do 🌟

It’s National Volunteer Week, and we are celebrating the incredible people who help us enable transformation in the lives of young people in Reading 🙌

Our volunteers don't just give their time – they build skills, connect with amazing people, and make a real impact.

Ready to make a difference? Why not volunteer as a mentor?

👉 Sign up here: startingpoint.org.uk/get-involved

Could you spare just a few mornings to change a young person's career path?

At Starting Point, we work with young people who are often overlooked or considered difficult to engage. We know that in the right environment, they can truly thrive—they just need that first opportunity.

We aren't looking for complex training programs or long-term internships. We just need local business owners who can offer a short burst of work experience over a week or two.

It doesn't take much to make a difference. It can be as simple as:
• Letting a young person observe a team meeting.
• Showing them a typical ‘day in the life’ of your role.
• Explaining how priorities are set and workload managed.
• Giving a tour of your workspace and chatting about your industry.

To you, it’s just a normal work week. To them, it’s a starting point.

How it works: Get in touch, and we’ll match you with a young person whose interests align perfectly with your business.

If you can help, please email us at [email protected]

Thank you to the amazing Coop members supporting our cause 💙�

The more members who choose us, the more funding we receive!

If you haven’t picked your cause yet, sign up here 👉 https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/96894

Every shop helps a young person access mentoring.
Thank you!

Co-op

At Starting Point, we work with young people who are often overlooked or considered difficult to engage. We know that in the right environment, or with the right opportunity, they can thrive.
We are looking for local business owners who can offer some work experience.

What might this look like?
• Letting a young person observe a team meeting.
• Showing them a typical ‘day in the life’ of your role
• Explaining how priorities are set and workload managed
• A tour of your workspace and a chat about your industry.

To you, it’s just another few mornings. To them, it could be a starting point towards a first job.

How it works: You reach out, and we’ll learn a bit about what you do and match you with a young person whose interests align with your business.

If this is something you feel you can offer, please email us at [email protected]

At Starting Point, we work with young people who are often overlooked or considered difficult to engage. We know that in the right environment, or with the right opportunity, they can thrive.

We aren't looking for long-term internships or complex training programs, but are simply looking for local business owners who can offer some work experience over a couple of weeks.

What might this look like?
• Letting a young person observe a team meeting.
• Showing them a typical ‘day in the life’ of your role
• Explaining how priorities are set and workload managed
• A tour of your workspace and a chat about your industry.

To you, it’s just another few mornings. To them, it could be a starting point towards a first job.

How it works: You reach out, and we’ll learn a bit about what you do and match you with a young person whose interests align with your business.

If this is something you feel you can offer, please email us at [email protected]

After school Creativity in Whitley

Over the last two months, we’ve had the pleasure of hosting after-school film and graphic design clubs at Ridgeway Primary School and Hartland High.

A frenzy of storytelling, digital design, and a little bit of fighting?!

The atmosphere was full of energy and fun, the results speak for themselves:
• 30 young creators engaged across both schools.
• 16 AQA unit awards successfully achieved.
• A fantastic collection of original short films produced.

We are incredibly proud of the dedication shown by these students. A huge thank you to Reading Borough Council for commissioning this project, and to the staff and pupils at Ridgeway and Hartland for welcoming us into your school community.

✨ Watch the students' work here: https://startingpoint.org.uk/creative/after-school-creative-clubs

Reading Council
Hartland High School

Starting Point are proud to present our impact report from 2025.

Throughout 2025 the young people have faced increasing challenges, with securing work within the current employment landscape, alongside their wellbeing during the mental health crisis. We have continued to provide support through mentoring, the Hub, creative opportunities, and amplifying their voices – empowering them to make and sustain positive change in themselves and their community.

Thank you to all our volunteers and partners who have enabled this work to continue.

“I really appreciated our time just getting to talk through some stuff and feeling so supported!”
Young person

You can read the full report on our website at startingpoint.org.uk/news/impact2025/

The Rahab team are looking for an Outreach Worker and help bring hope and transformation to women facing complex challenges.

16 hrs/week • £29k FTE

Please see the website for further information: rahab.co.uk/blogandnews

At the Mustard Tree we believe prayer has power.

We regularly compile a bulletin detailing current areas and situations you can pray for us in.

Our March bulletin is now ready to read on our website: themustardtree.org/2026/03/09/prayer-bulletin-march-26/

Thank you for all your support.
🙏