Team Launchpad raise £800 in Tribute Audax cycle ride

Members of staff decided to gather a small team together to take part and fundraise so Launchpad can continue supporting vulnerable people in Reading. The brave team included fundraising manager Kate, CEO Ian, caretaker Paul and supporters Laura and Edd, and they completed 58km through Berkshire and Oxfordshire whilst battling the pouring rain and harsh winds.
Big Sleep Out at home raises double the fundraising target

Our virtual event, Big Sleep Out at home, saw 190 people from across Berkshire sleep in their garden on Saturday 10 October, to mark World Homeless Day and raise a total of £50,000 to prevent homelessness in Reading – double the event’s fundraising target of £25,000!
Chris Tarrant, Matt Allwright and Michelle ‘Babs’ Jordan to make special guest appearances at the Big Sleep Out at home

We’re excited to announce that Chris Tarrant, Launchpad patron Matt Allwright, and BBC Radio’s Michelle ‘Babs’ Jordan will be making guest appearances at the Big Sleep Out at home – which is taking place on World Homeless Day, Saturday 10 October, to help raise £25,000 to prevent homelessness in Reading.
University of Reading’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Robert Van de Noort, announced as new patron

Professor Robert Van de Noort has joined the charity as a patron and will be taking part in Launchpad’s fundraiser, Big Sleep Out at home, later this year on World Homeless Day, Saturday 10 October.
Launchpad announces new location for annual Big Sleep Out – your home!
We didn’t want COVID-19 and social distancing to put a stop to the much-loved annual event, the Big Sleep Out. Which is why this year, we are hosting the event virtually and asking people to brave the outdoors to raise vital funds in a garden!
Vote for Launchpad in the My Favourite Voucher Codes charity poll
Launchpad is teaming up with My Favourite Voucher Codes to take part in their charity poll. As one of four charities in the lineup, we’re in with a chance to win 20% of the site’s profits, which will help us continue to provide our support through our housing and homelessness services.
How are we safely welcoming clients back into our building for support?

For the last few weeks, we have been working hard to ensure that we can safely start to open the building to clients and people in need of support, ready for when lockdown started to ease. What are these changes and how have we adapted our services to keep clients, staff and our community safe?
COVID-19 emergency appeal reaches £42,000

Back in April we launched our COVID-19 emergency appeal so we can continue delivering our vital support to extremely vulnerable people during the outbreak – and you have helped us smash our target and raise a magnificent £42,264!
AND Digital helps Launchpad move into a new digital era

The Reading brand of tech delivery specialist, AND Digital, offered Launchpad free technical support on our website earlier this year – and has now moved our website to a new editable platform and given it a whole new look! AND and Launchpad started working together after the AND team wanted to offer some pro bono […]
Local artist raises over £1k selling political fashion via Instagram for causes including Launchpad
Reading-born 20 year-old Jessy Blakemore has raised £1070 to date for charities including Launchpad, by hand painting t-shirts and corsets and selling them via Instagram – with 103 sold and just as many on order. After boredom set in during lockdown at her family home in Reading, Jessy – who is studying Philosophy at the […]