Nine Reading charities have received a cash boost thanks to the efforts of kind-hearted staff at Prudential.

Employees based at the insurance giant’s headquarters in Kings Road have raised more than £5,000 this year for Reading Area Charities Together (RACT), a consortium of nine local needy causes.

The nine charities are Berkshire Community Foundation, Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust, Care Cultural Integration, Home-Start, Parents And Children Together, REAP Resettlement Agency, Readibus, Reading Single Homeless Project and Reading YMCA.

Each one was presented with a £400 payout at RACT’s first annual general meeting since the consortium was formed a year ago.

Speaking on behalf of all the charities, Ann Piper, who chairs RACT, said: “This is the first cheque the members of RACT have received and we hope it won’t be the last.

“Prudential has supported RACT since it was set up and all the charities would like to both congratulate and thank the Pru employees for all their hard work and commitment.”