Reading Community Outreach Service

Please note: As the Reading Community Outreach Service project is coming to an end on 31st October 2025, we will no longer be accepting any new referrals. 

Contracts & Projects Manager – Andre Silva

Head of Regional Operations: Gianluca Zucchelli

About the service

The Reading Community Outreach Service provides mental health support in the community within Reading to improve the wellbeing of people and help build resilience and independence to help combat issues that directly impact people’s mental wellbeing such as experiences of poverty and inequality.

We look to support people on their journey towards better mental wellbeing but also have a specific aim of providing preventative mental support to reach people from ethnically diverse communities to ensure that they have access to the right support at the right time. Our service specifically looks to work alongside people who are refugees and asylum seekers, those who may have experienced discrimination or injustice, as well and supporting them to feel part of the local community to achieve self-sufficiency.

We provide personalised support delivered by Peer Outreach Workers, who have lived experience of mental distress themselves, who bring a genuine understanding and empathetic approach in supporting people to work towards their own identified goals. The service provides 1-2-1 support of up to 9 weeks whilst meeting people in the community or providing phone and online sessions. There is also a group programme themed around wellbeing, developing coping strategies, self-management and facilitating peer support. People can choose how they  access support – whether that’s in person, online via video chat, or on the phone.

Please note this does not extend to meeting people in their homes. Our staff will meet people in the community in public places such as libraries or coffee shops.  It should also be noted that the meetings our staff conduct will be specifically to provide one to one support.

Part of our support is specifically for people in Reading from the refugee and asylum seeker community. We offer specialist one to one and group support from a Peer Outreach Worker who has first-hand experience of being a refugee.

Resources

Reading Community Outreach Service Leaflet

Reading Community Outreach Service Referral Form

Please note: As the Reading Community Outreach Service project is coming to an end on 31st October 2025, we will no longer be accepting any new referrals.