With less than four weeks to go until we sleep out for one night, you can still get involved.
Homelessness can happen to anyone and the people we support come from a wide range of diverse backgrounds including: a headmaster's son, a ski instructor, people who were brought up in care and an IT Manager.
A sequence of events, bad luck or no one to care, can be all it takes for someone to end up turning to drugs, alcohol, crime or struggling with their mental health and ending up needing the support of Launchpad.
Our programme for the Big Sleep Out evening is shaping up nicely and includes musical entertainment and an insight into what it's like to be supported by Launchpad. And why not join in the build your own cardboard shelter competition too?
Launchpad supporter Gary from Take 2 Event Photos will be there to photograph and print instant commemorative photos of you, your friends and your shelter for just £2. Our neighbours Nando's and their tasting cart will be joining us again at Queen Anne's School, Caversham on Friday 29 August.
At 11pm you'll bed down for the night on cardboard with just a sleeping bag for comfort. Most people are up with the sun around 6am. Pret A Manger have again kindly donated orange juice and Love Bars for breakfast for everyone taking part.
See all the photos from last year's event here >
Register here > for this year's Big Sleep Out, get sponsored to sleep out for one night so others don't have to.
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Heroes at Highclere
What an amazing day for Launchpad at Heroes at Highclere on Sunday 3 August.
Our cream tea Great War Café was a huge success and couldn’t have been better positioned looking onto Highclere Castle. And the weather was fantastic too.
We served over 800 cream teas and entertained celebrity visitors including: Boycie from Only Fools and Horses, Sir Winston Churchill and Sir John Madejski.
So many people to thank but a special thank you to all of the volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the event so successful, along with support from Warings and their kind donation of scones, we really couldn't have done it without you all.
We made a staggering £5,002.42 on the day which will make such a difference to the lives of people vulnerable to homelessness in Reading who we support.
See our photos from the day here >
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Investing in our Volunteers
On 8 July we achieved the Investing in Volunteers accreditation – we’re really pleased, such a lot of hard work by our Volunteer Co-ordinator Sharon Mullis and our 56 (and counting!) volunteers who support us at Launchpad.
Sharon said after hearing "we are absolutely delighted to be awarded the Investing in Volunteers! We see it as recognition of the commitment of our amazing volunteers, as well as acknowledgment on how the volunteer project is managed."
Investing in Volunteers is the UK quality standard for all organisations involving volunteers and aims to improve the quality of the volunteering experience for all volunteers.
Jane, Launchpad’s Job Skills Volunteer has been volunteering for four and a half years and gets real satisfaction from helping clients especially when it leads to them getting an interview and a job.
Read more >
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Reading FC Former Players
We're so pleased to have been chosen as Reading FC Former Players' Association's Charity of the Year for 2014/15. We're looking forward to 12 months of football related events including: a football tournament and matches, 'Q & A' evenings and a formal dinner.
Many Launchpad client's struggle with alcohol and/or substance misuse issues as do some high profile former footballers.
Richard Wickson, Chairman of the Association, says, "I am so pleased we can help Launchpad in the great work they do. We, as a charitable, non-profit making organisation, are amongst our other commitments, keen to help local charities in their fundraising efforts."
Lots of Launchpad staff, volunteers, clients and supporters are avid Reading FC and football fans and are very much looking forward to the year ahead with Reading FC Former Players' Association.
Find out more here >
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CEO's blog
Launchpad had a fantastic weekend at Heroes at Highclere, our staff and volunteers ran the Great War Café serving cream teas. Wonderful work by the staff, staff families and volunteers and thank you. We took over £5,000, a magnificent effort by all involved.
Interestingly when Launchpad was setting up the event Jason, our fundraising manager, was dashing round looking for donations and free services. He was stopped in one of the large companies he was visiting and asked did he work at Launchpad, yes was the response. The staff member gave him her card and said “I used to be at Launchpad four years ago as a client, here is my card and can you give to Jane and say thank you to her for her help”.
Read more
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