As a charity who have been part of Reading for 55 years, our community doesn’t just include the young people we support but also other services and businesses in our local area. We buy local, spend local, and support local wherever possible, and we try and find ways that local people and supporters can benefit from our network too.
Since 2023, Carly Newman (Operations and Relationships Manager) has been representing No5 as a member of Reading Central BNI – a local chapter of a global referral marketing and networking group.
Through the connections and relationships made through Reading Central BNI, we are able to support, and be supported by, local businesses for various operational needs including:
- Catering for training and development days
- Office supply and furniture ordering and hire
- Building cleaning, maintenance and repairs – including our outside spaces
- HR support
- Marketing and SEO support
- Accounting support
Having businesses we can trust, who align with our values, and understand our ways of working carry out this work supports our wider team in delivering life-changing support for local young people.
And our relationships don’t end there! Together, BNI Reading Central members have raised £37,224, directly funding the delivery of 767 counselling sessions!
Fundraising events have included:
- Running in Reading Half Marathon
- Climbing Snowdown
- Donating profits from sales (e.g from Christmas Cards)
- Wearing purple on #BePurpleDay
- Quiz Nights
- Raffles
- And more!
Their support isn’t only available to us, but also to No5 supporters like you!
If you are a regular reader of our monthly newsletter, you will have seen (and maybe made use of) some of the offers available to you including: reduced household bills through Utility Warehouse, boiler protection and servicing contracts with Active Heating Solutions, personalised travel advice and planning through Not Just Travel and Partners in Travel, and even Careers and CV-writing support.
What’s more, some of these also raise money to support No5 at no cost to you if you take up their services.
So, if you are looking for help with anything from landscape gardening, architecture or solar panels to insurance, mortgages, financial advice, supplements to support your health and wellbeing, eco-refill solutions for household products and even pest-control or everything in between – there will be someone in our network who can help that we can put you in touch with!
Get in touch with Carly Newman via carly.newman@no5.org.uk and let her know who you are looking for!
Our other key partnerships make a huge difference to us too – FINK Street Food, University of the Built Environment, Francis Construction, Select Car Leasing, and so many more local businesses that regularly support us through pro-bono support, donations, and getting involved.
Flowers by Cherie, Vino.Vita and the Holiday Inn regularly support us as prize donors for fundraising events – helping boost the amount raised!
