Support The Way Ministry Reading's Mission
Volunteers Needed – Help Support The Way Ministry Reading!
The Way Ministry, Reading is a local charity supporting people experiencing homelessness, poverty and financial hardship in Reading.
We’re looking for a small number of enthusiastic volunteers to help support fundraising and marketing activities for The Way Ministry Reading.
This is a great opportunity to use your creativity and organisational skills to help raise awareness, engage the community, and support the work of the charity.
What you’ll help with:
• Supporting fundraising campaigns and initiatives
• Assisting with social media and promotional content
• Helping coordinate simple marketing activities
• Searching for and applying for grants
• Working alongside a small, friendly team of volunteers
Time commitment: Up to 2 hours per week (flexible)
If you’re passionate about making a difference in the community and would like to contribute your time and skills, we’d love to hear from you.
Send us a message/email or comment below if you’re interested in getting involved!
Please share and thank you in advance 
thewayministryreading@outlook.com
07410 622399
Support The Way Ministry Reading Today
Welcome to The Way Ministry Reading
Recent press coverage highlighting homelessness in Reading and related tragedies includes several key reports. Homeless woman sleeping rough in tent in Reading dies reports on the death of Genevieve Curwen after being found unwell in a tent on Broad Street, while Tragedy in Reading: Woman living in tent dies despite emergency care covers the same incident, including the community response and tributes left at the scene. Additional national and regional pickup is reflected in Woman living in tent dies in Broad Street tragedy, which also notes this was the second death among Reading’s homeless community in a short period, following another rough sleeper who reportedly died during cold weather. Together, these articles underline growing concern locally and nationally about the risks faced by people sleeping rough and the urgent need for more accessible, immediate support such as emergency night shelters.
Photo credit of Genevieve Curwen to Paul King
Standing Together: Why Reading Needs an Emergency Night Shel
Emergency Relief
The recent tragedies on the streets of Reading has deeply impacted our community and brought renewed urgency to the issue of homelessness. The death of a woman sleeping rough in the town centre is a stark and heart-breaking reminder that, despite existing services, there are still critical gaps in support—especially during the night.
Across the UK, homelessness continues to rise. National reports, including recent coverage by The Guardian, highlight record levels of rough sleeping, with increasing pressure on local services. While Reading benefits from strong outreach work, partnerships, and council-led initiatives, not everyone is able—or ready—to access the help currently available.
At The Way Ministry Reading, we believe that no one should be left outside in the cold, especially during moments of crisis.
A Missing Piece in Local Support
We want to be clear: this is not about replacing the vital work already being done by Reading Borough Council and its partners. Their efforts are essential and valued.
However, there remains a need for something more immediate and accessible—an emergency night shelter that can act as a safety net for those who fall through the gaps.
Some individuals experiencing homelessness face complex challenges, including trauma, mental health struggles, or distrust of formal systems. An emergency shelter offers a low-barrier, compassionate space where people can come in from the streets, even if only for the night. It provides warmth, safety, and the opportunity to begin building trust and connection.
Our Vision
Led by Grace Gomez, The Way Ministry Reading is seeking to establish an emergency night shelter to supplement and strengthen the work already being carried out across the town.
Our vision is simple:
- A safe place for anyone facing homelessness to sleep at night
- A welcoming, human-centred environment
- A bridge to longer-term support and recovery
This is about community—ensuring that no one in Reading is left without help when they need it most.
A Call to Action
The recent losses of life of life must not be in vain. It should move us to act with compassion, urgency, and unity.
We are calling on local partners, volunteers, and supporters to come alongside us in making this emergency night shelter a reality. Together, we can ensure that Reading is a place where everyone has access to safety, dignity, and hope.
To support this initiative or find out more, please contact The Way Ministry Reading.
Support The Way Ministry Reading Today
A night shelter isn’t charity—it’s safety, dignity, and a first step off the streets.
No One Should Be Homeless
There has been growing concern about the number of tents in Reading, but what many people do not realise is that a significant number of tents are hidden from public view. While some are visible, many more are tucked away in alleyways, wooded areas, and other overlooked spaces. This means the scale of homelessness in our town is often underestimated.
At The Way Ministry Reading, we believe it is vital to listen directly to those who are experiencing homelessness. That is why we are currently carrying out a series of interviews with people who are actually homeless, to better understand their realities, challenges, and what support would truly make a difference. These interviews can be viewed here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17Y5J8h6sW/
From these conversations, one message is clear: temporary solutions are not enough. We are pushing for a permanent night shelter in Reading—a safe, consistent place where people can find warmth, dignity, and support, not just in emergencies but all year round.
To move this forward, The Way Ministry Reading is holding a public meeting for anyone who wants to be part of the solution. This meeting is open to community members, churches, organisations, funders, and individuals who care about addressing homelessness in a meaningful and lasting way.
Homelessness is not hidden to those living it every day. As a community, we must be willing to see it, hear it, and act together.
Grace Gomez
The Way Ministry Reading
Public meeting
Saturday 21st February 2026
2pm to 3.30pmFairview Community Centre, Great Knollys Street, Reading. RG1 7HL
Contact Us
Support The Way Ministry Reading Today
We're seeking new trustees
The Way Ministry Reading is seeking committed trustees who feel called to serve through governance and wise stewardship. As a trustee, you will help guide the vision and mission of the charity. You will help to ensure it remains faithful to its Christian foundation of love, care and compassion to all people and serving the local community.
We are looking for individuals with a heart for the people that we serve and the willingness to offer time, insight to help the charity achieve its aims. Previous trustee experience is not essential—what matters most is a desire to serve, work collaboratively, and support the charity growth and integrity in Reading.
We are seeking trustees with the following skills.
Financial Management: The ability to scrutinise budgets, understand financial reports, manage resources responsibly, and ensure the charity's long-term sustainability is critical.
Legal and Regulatory Knowledge: Trustees must understand their legal duties and ensure the charity complies with charity law, its governing document and all relevant regulations.
Strategic Planning: The board is responsible for setting the charity's direction, planning how to achieve its mission, and ensuring activities align with the overall purpose.
Risk Management: Trustees need the skills to identify, assess, and mitigate risks (including financial, reputational, and operational risks) effectively.
Fundraising and Communication: Skills in fundraising strategy, marketing, and communication are valuable for securing necessary income and raising awareness of the charity's work.
Accountability and Openness: Ensuring the charity is accountable to regulators, beneficiaries, donors, and the public is a primary duty.
Problem-solving and Decision-making: The ability to make informed, balanced decisions, and to challenge and ask difficult questions, when necessary, is vital for effective governance.
For further information please contact
Grace Gomez, thewayministryreading@outlook.com
We're seeking new trustees
The Way Ministry Reading is seeking committed trustees who feel called to serve through governance and wise stewardship. As a trustee, you will help guide the vision and mission of the charity. You will help to ensure it remains faithful to its Christian foundation of love, care and compassion to all people and serving the local community.
We are looking for individuals with a heart for the people that we serve and the willingness to offer time, insight to help the charity achieve its aims. Previous trustee experience is not essential—what matters most is a desire to serve, work collaboratively, and support the charity growth and integrity in Reading.
We are seeking trustees with the following skills.
Financial Management: The ability to scrutinise budgets, understand financial reports, manage resources responsibly, and ensure the charity's long-term sustainability is critical.
Legal and Regulatory Knowledge: Trustees must understand their legal duties and ensure the charity complies with charity law, its governing document and all relevant regulations.
Strategic Planning: The board is responsible for setting the charity's direction, planning how to achieve its mission, and ensuring activities align with the overall purpose.
Risk Management: Trustees need the skills to identify, assess, and mitigate risks (including financial, reputational, and operational risks) effectively.
Fundraising and Communication: Skills in fundraising strategy, marketing, and communication are valuable for securing necessary income and raising awareness of the charity's work.
Accountability and Openness: Ensuring the charity is accountable to regulators, beneficiaries, donors, and the public is a primary duty.
Problem-solving and Decision-making: The ability to make informed, balanced decisions, and to challenge and ask difficult questions, when necessary, is vital for effective governance.
For further information please contact
Grace Gomez, thewayministryreading@outlook.com
Volunteers
Team Leader needed for the Way Ministry Reading
Job Title: Community Fridge & Food Bank Team Leader
Organisation: The Way Ministry Reading
Location: Reading, RG1 7HL
Times: 1.30pm to 3.30pm fortnightly on Sundays
Reports to: Trustees
Role Purpose
The Community Fridge & Food Bank Team Leader will oversee the running of The Way Ministry Reading’s Community Fridge and Food Bank, ensuring it operates safely, efficiently, and in line with the charity’s Christian values.
Love and Compassion – Treating everyone with dignity, kindness and respect, regardless of age, background, belief, or circumstance. The role exists to provide practical support to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity, while creating a welcoming, dignified, and compassionate environment for all who access the service.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, support, and coordinate a team of volunteers, including rota planning and task allocation.
- Oversee daily operations of the Community Fridge and Food Bank, including opening/closing procedures.
- Ensure compliance with food hygiene, health and safety, and safeguarding policies.
- Build positive relationships with service users, offering a warm, respectful, and non-judgemental welcome.
- Identify and resolve operational issues using effective problem-solving skills.
- Keep basic records of service activity, reporting to leadership as required.
Person Specification
Essential:
- Strong leadership and organisational skills.
- Ability to motivate, manage, and support volunteers.
- Good problem-solving skills and the ability to work calmly under pressure.
- Commitment to the Christian ethos and values of The Way Ministry Reading.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Desirable:
- Experience in food bank, community outreach, or similar charitable work.
- Knowledge of food hygiene and health & safety (training can be provided).
- Experience working with vulnerable individuals or diverse communities.
- Understanding of safeguarding principles.
Additional Information
The Way Ministry Reading is committed to serving the community with compassion, dignity, and hope.
Contact Us
Have a question or want to get in touch? Use our contact form to reach out to us and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Charity Urgently Seeks Suitable Premises and Van to Support
The Way Ministry Reading charity is making an urgent appeal for help in securing a suitable premises
Charity the Way Ministry, provide a vital lifeline for individuals and families facing food insecurity in Reading. The charity is making an urgent appeal for help in securing a suitable premises. With the demand their free community fridge food bank service at an all-time high, these resources are critical to ensuring the charity can continue to serve the growing number of people in need.
We have experienced a significant increase in demand over the past year, with more households relying on food parcels and free food to make ends meet. The current arrangements are no longer adequate to store and distribute the volume of surplus food received. The lack of a van limits the amount of food that can be picked up every week. Every week, up to 6 volunteers use their own cars to pick up surplus food from the supermarkets.
“Our mission is to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry, but we are at a tipping point,” said Grace Gomez, chairperson and founder of the Way Ministry Reading. “To keep up with the rising demand, we urgently need a suitable space to store the donated surplus food over the weekend. We also need a transit van to transport food from the supermarkets and to our weekly drop-in service.”
What the Charity Needs
- Premises: A spacious, accessible facility to accommodate storage of ambient and frozen food. Ideally, the location would have sufficient parking and easy access for volunteers to drop off and pick up the surplus food donations.
How You Can Help
The charity is calling on local businesses, community groups, and individuals to help in any way they can. Potential contributions include:
- Offering a premises for lease or donation.
- Spreading the word about this urgent appeal.
The charity has been helping individuals and families who are experiencing homelesness, poverty and financial hardship for 12 years. Up to 75 of these people are served every week at the free service.
In the last year and a half, the volunteers have made over 1170 collections of 59167g of food. That’s the equivalent of 139 284 meals equating to 147707 of CO2 savings.
Contact Information
For more information or to offer support, please contact:
Grace Gomez, the Way Ministry Reading, 07410 622399 thewayministryreading@outlook.com.
https://thewayministryreading.co.uk/
Social Media: Follow us on [platforms, e.g., Facebook Instagram for updates and to share our appeal.
Get Involved
Join us in making a difference in our community, donate to our cause. Together, we can create a better future for those in need.
The Way Ministry Reading for a Better Future
2024 onwards TWM night shelter - volunteer with us
It is with deep regret, that due to circumstances beyond our control, we will not be able to open the night shelter as planned on Friday 10th May. We are really disappointed but have no other course of action at this time. We will really be in need of volunteers when we open again so please keeping watching here and on social media for our opening date.
Please also see more details on the "Volunteering with us" page or email us - nightsheltervolunteers@gmail.com.
January, February and March 2024 Faith night shelter - volunteer with us
Some of the churches in Reading are hosting the night shelter at North Street from now until 24th March 2024. The Way Ministry Reading will be helping by sending volunteers on Friday evenings/Saturday mornings. Please get in touch if you would like to volunteer at the night shelter during this time - nightsheltervolunteers@gmail.com.
December 2023 - We did it!
As we take a moment to reflect on the successful establishment of our night shelter, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible efforts and contributions from each and every one of you. Your dedication and commitment have played an integral role in turning our vision into a reality.
The journey to create the night shelter has been filled with challenges, but it is your unwavering support that has made this initiative a resounding success. Your time, skills, resources, and compassion have created a safe haven for those in need during the darkest hours of the night.
Because of your collective efforts, our night shelter stands not just as a physical space but as a beacon of hope for our community. Your impact will be felt for years to come, providing relief to those who need it most during the challenging winter nights.
What a wonderful start we have made, the volunteers completed 246 volunteer sessions in 2 and half weeks and 24 homeless people accessed the shelter over the time.
Thank you for being an indispensable part of this initiative. Your kindness, generosity, and commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others have left an indelible mark on our organization and the community we serve.
Support The Way Ministry Reading Today
Volunteer trust and grant fundraisers needed
Now that we have secured a permanent premises for the night shelter, the next step is to secure funding to keep the shelter open every night of the year.
The shelter at North Street is currently helping up to 20 adults per night offering a hot meal, showers, clean clothing and a safe place to sleep.
We need a small group of volunteers who can write and submit grant applications for this essential work. If you have a few hours to spare a week and some experience in grant and trust fundraising we would love to hear from you.
If you don't have experience but would still like to help us with fundraising please get in touch.
thewayministryreading@outlook.com
07410 622399
No one should be homeless.
Be a part of something good in Reading
the way ministry reading christmas night shelter for adults
Wonderful news to share
We are thrilled to share some wonderful news with you! The Way Ministry Reading is proud to announce that we have found our own premises. Our new location will enable us to run an emergency night shelter for people experiencing homelessness right here in Reading.
We will be sharing the building with Reading group Fab4 All. Their objective is to promote their members social, cognitive, physical and emotional wellbeing by providing a range of activities which can be adapted to meet their member’s needs.
Our shared building is located at 16 North Street Reading, RG1 7DA. Fab4All will be using the ground floor of the building in the day, and we will have the first floor to run the night shelter from in the evening/overnight/morning. We will run our regular Sunday service from the new location when we move in.
Our commitment to providing a safe and warm refuge for those who are experiencing homelessness has never been stronger. With your continued support, we can make a significant impact on the lives of those in need within our community.
The emergency night shelter will be a place where individuals facing homelessness can find respite from the cold, have a hot meal, a change of clothing, showers and access to vital resources. Our mission is to create a warm, welcoming, supportive, and dignified environment for our guests, and we are excited to extend this opportunity to them.
ways to support our night shelter to prevent rough sleeping
There are a number of ways that you can support us.
Charity Run/Walk: Organize a charity run or walk, where participants can raise funds through pledges and donations.
Community Fair: Host a fair with games, food stalls, and entertainment, where proceeds go help us run the night shelter.
Concert or Talent Show: Arrange a local talent show or concert, with ticket sales benefiting the us.
Crowdfunding: Create an online crowdfunding campaign on platforms like GoFundMe sharing the charity's mission and goals.
Virtual Challenges: Organize virtual challenges such as a sponsored virtual walk or a social media campaign with specific hashtags to raise awareness and funds.
Corporate Sponsorship: Local business can sponsor the night shelter for a day, week or month.
Employee Giving Programs: Companies can set up employee giving programs, where employees can donate a portion of their salary to the us.
Collaborate with Local Businesses: We can partner with local businesses for special promotions or events where a percentage of sales go to the charity.
School Partnerships: We can work with schools to organize fundraising events, like a charity day or a school fair.
Church Partnerships: We can come and give a talk at your church and support fundraising events.
Donate
Your contribution can help us provide food, shelter, showers and clean clothing to people experiencing homelessness this Christmas and beyond. No donation is too small, and every penny counts.
Why not give regular amount to help homeless people in Reading and prevent them them from having to rough sleep in dangerous conditions. Our bank details are available on request.
£5 will help to provide food and shelter for one homeless person per night
£20 will provide food and shelter for 4 homeless people per night
£50 will help will help with the daily running cost of the night shelter.
£100 will help with the months running costs of the night shelter.
Volunteer With Us
We can't do this without you. We need volunteers to help us run the night shelter, volunteers must be 18 and over.
Volunteering opportunities at the night shelter
- 7.15pm to 11.15pm Team leaders
- 7.30pm to 11pm Welcome, serving and hosts team
- 7.15pm to 9.45pm Cooks
- 11pm to 7.30am Overnight volunteers (can sleep in turns)
- 7.15am to 9.15am Breakfast and set down volunteers
Spread the Word
Help us raise awareness about our cause by sharing our mission with your friends, family, neighbours, church family and colleagues. Follow us on social media and invite others to join our community.
Join Our Team
If you're passionate about making a difference, join our team and become part of the The Way Ministry Reading family. We're always looking for dedicated individuals to help us achieve our goals. We need people from all walks of life with a range of skills and abilities.
Help with administration
- Overseeing the online rota
- Processing volunteer application forms/taking references
- Booking volunteers onto the training sessions
- Coordinating volunteers
Fundraising and Marketing
- Help writing grant and funding applications.
- Promoting the night shelter to get corporate donations/sponsors/volunteers
- Promoting on social media
- Help with fundraising/fundraising ideas
HELP NEEDED AT NIGHT SHELTER
Why Your Help Matters
Homelessness is a pressing issue in our community, and with your support, we can create a space that offers shelter, warmth, and hope to those in need. Your skills can make a real difference and contribute to building a better future for our community members.
How to Get Involved
If you or someone you know is a skilled tradesperson willing to volunteer their time and expertise, please contact us at thewayministryreading@outlook.com. We are open to any form of assistance, whether it's a few hours of your time, a specific skill set, or even recommendations for potential volunteers.
Spread the Word
We also encourage you to share this message with your networks. The more people we reach, the greater the chance of finding the skilled tradespeople we need.
Get Involved
Join us in making a difference. Whether you want to donate, volunteer, or simply learn more, there are many ways to get involved and support our work.
Thank you for considering this request. Together, we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of those less fortunate in our community.
News
BBC Radio Berkshire - 4/1/23
BBC Radio Berkshire - 4/1/23
BBC Radio Berkshire - 4/1/23
Thank you to BBC Radio Berkshire for caring and giving me the opportunity to appeal for a premises for the night shelter on the Andrew Peach show this morning.
BBC Radio Berkshire - 4/1/23
BBC Radio Berkshire - 4/1/23
BBC Radio Berkshire - 4/1/23
Thank you to BBC Radio Berkshire for caring and giving me the opportunity to appeal for a premises for the night shelter on the Andrew Peach show this morning.
BBC News - 29/12/22
BBC Radio Berkshire - 4/1/23
ITV Meridian - 29/12/22
Read our founder, Grace Gomez, share her concerns as our temporary homeless shelter closes on BBC News.
ITV Meridian - 29/12/22
ITV Meridian - 29/12/22
ITV Meridian - 29/12/22
Check out our interview with Sangeeta Bhabra on ITV Meridian News as we talk about our Christmas shelter project
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ITV Meridian - 29/12/22
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