
"Finally, I can see a bright future and I always say there is a light ahead of me!"
Torch is run by volunteers from local churches to provide a helping hand to those who otherwise cannot get help and tend to fall through the gaps of existing support or provision.
We offer a wide range of free personal and practical help as well as signposting to others with specialist expertise or local support groups you can go to.
Our Community Support Hub has information on the events, activities and help available from local churches and Christian charities to support the community.
Anna, Social Prescriber
We take referrals and are pleased to work in partnership with the local agencies below and complement the work of other local charities. You will also find lots of help through our Community Support Hub listing church and charity based activities and events from across Reading and the surrounding areas.
"Finally, I can see a bright future and I always say there is a light ahead of me!"
"We’re built for relationships, and shutting everyone out only adds to the spiral of despair and darkness."
"I found friends, a family and a community of people who accepted me and my family. I was welcomed as if they had known me for a long time."
"There were many times when I didn’t know how I would get through the day, but there was never a time when I doubted God’s existence, or his love for our family."
Are you in urgent need of anything?
We offer short term support for anyone in need or unable to get out. For example, we can collect your shopping, pick up a prescription for you, or connect you with another local charity or organisation for longer term help.
Would you like someone to chat or pray with you?
We can help provide friendly support to improve your emotional and mental wellbeing, such as chatting or praying with you.
Can we help build your confidence to get back on your feet?
We can help you get out of the house for social re-engagement or to attend appointments, etc.
Do you need support when attending an important appointment?
We can go with you to critical appointments to support you in stressful times of anxiety and uncertainty.
Can we help with practical tasks (basic DIY/gardening)?
We’d love to help with small jobs around the house or garden that you’re unable to do yourself. If the job is too big for us, we can point you other charities or organisations that will be able to help.
Do you need help with CVs, form filling or paperwork?
We can help with the aspects of every day life, such as writing CVs, filling out forms or completing paperwork.
Our vision is to be a network of local hubs to provide help and hope to people in need, by churches working together in unity, and in partnership with the charities, public and private sectors.
Torch provides a completely free service to everyone. All volunteers are DBS cleared and, where possible, come from the local community near the client. Self or agency referrals to Torch can be made and will be triaged by a Coordinator who will select the appropriate volunteer.
Torch will also signpost people to appropriate activities and courses that might provide friendship, wellbeing, practical support as well as assistance with making good life choices. The churches provide a wealth of activities and details of many of these can be found on our Community Support Hub page.
Torch facilitates community events in partnership with local agencies, groups and charities to enhance the local neighbourhood whilst bringing people together.
Torch is an affiliation of churches collaborating to deliver our mission. The Leadership Team is comprised of representative leaders from amongst the churches that partner with us to provide volunteers, practical, financial and prayer support whilst working together in unity.
We gratefully acknowledge those churches who are full partners with us along with the long term financial support from Oxford Diocese.
We are also grateful to be supported in other ways by local churches who endorse the work of Torch.
We enjoy a close working relationship with a number of local social action charities who share our ethos and values and with whom we are pleased to share cross referrals.
We aim to support anyone within the greater Reading area who has an unmet need and no means of getting help to resolve the issue. We expect referrers and clients to have exhausted other available means of support and there to be no financial means to pay for the help. We do not seek to take on requests that can be better met by other organisations. Indeed you may find the help you are looking for on our Community Support Hub.
You can make a self-referral (for personal help) or refer someone else
We accept referrals from the general public, agencies, charities, health professionals and local authorities.
If you would like to ask a question before making a referral or wish to make contact for other reasons then please ask.
If you would like to speak with us, please call 0118 380 0260. If we are unavailable at the time, please leave a message and we will return your call.
We are typically available in working hours Monday to Thursday and will aim to get back to you as soon as possible within 5 working days.