Vision

That children in all areas of Reading have an equal opportunity to access enrichment activities that enable them to overcome the impact of social, financial and cultural disadvantage. Projects we fund develop skills that are essential to successful, happy, fulfilled lives.

Mission

To empower children and families to access non-formal learning and enrichment opportunities that will enable them to gain skills to improve their engagement with their local community and their future.

Goals

To work with children and families in disadvantaged areas of Reading, to develop their capacity and skills in such a way that, they are better able to identify and help meet their own needs and participate more fully in society.  A key aim is to involve the community in our work and to empower families to aspire to improved futures for themselves and their children. Through activities that develop skills and aspirations, we aim to develop:

1. Increased social mobility
2. Better self-awareness and resilience
3. Improved self-esteem
4. Ability to make informed decisions

Beneficiaries

Our core focus is on children in Whitley, as the area in Reading with the highest level of disadvantage (Index of Multiple Deprivation IMD 2019).

Approximately 5,300 children from South Reading attend the following 11 schools.  During 2018-19 some 3,097 (74%) of eligible children attended an Aspire2 funded school trip.

The schools attended by our current beneficiaries include:

1. Blagdon Nursery
2. Christ the King Primary School
3. Geoffrey Field Infant School
4. Geoffrey Field Junior School
5. New Christ Church Primary School
6. Palmer Academy (primary)
7. The Ridgeway Primary School
8. Whitley Park Primary School
9. Reading Girls School (secondary)
10. The John Madejski Academy (secondary)
11. The Avenue Special School (Tilehurst based but draws pupils from South Reading and was originally located in South Reading when WEC and Aspire2 were formed, for pupils aged 2 to19)