A Day in the Life: Meet Carolyn, Schoolreaders Corporate Partnerships Manager

Strong partnerships play a vital role in helping Schoolreaders reach more children and schools across England. Behind these relationships is a dedicated team working with companies to create meaningful, long-term partnerships that support our mission.

As Corporate Partnerships Manager, Carolyn works with like-minded organisations to develop collaborations that make a lasting difference for children’s reading. We spoke to her to find out more about her role and a day in the life at Schoolreaders.

What is your name, job role, and where are you based?

My name is Carolyn McDonald, and I’m the Corporate Partnerships Manager at Schoolreaders. I’m home-based, with one day a month spent at our Bedford Heights HQ.

How long have you been with Schoolreaders?

I joined the team in May 2025.

Can you tell us a bit about your previous job role, and why you chose to join the team here?

Before joining Schoolreaders, I was the Corporate Partnerships Manager at a charity called LionHeart, where I worked for six years. In that role, I managed partnerships with around 50 corporate partners across the building sector.

After six brilliant years, I felt ready for a new challenge and a new charity. As soon as I saw the role at Schoolreaders advertised, it appealed to me immediately. I have two children of primary school age, and I’m passionate about the importance of reading and building a lifelong love of books. I strongly believe that all children, regardless of background, should have the opportunity to experience the joy of reading and the doors it opens.

I also love exploring new ideas for partnerships and working collaboratively to see those ideas come to life. With 2026 being the National Year of Reading and the launch of our new corporate partner strategy, it’s an incredibly exciting time to be at Schoolreaders.

What does a typical ‘day in your life’ look like?

A large part of my role involves managing relationships with our current corporate partners. This includes meeting with key contacts, discussing the progress of partnerships, writing progress reports, and presenting at company staff meetings and events.

I also spend time researching and identifying organisations that could be a good fit as future Schoolreaders corporate partners. That often leads to meetings with prospective partners to explore partnership opportunities and prepare tailored proposals.

Another important aspect of my role is developing new corporate partnership ideas, thinking creatively about how companies can support Schoolreaders, and what meaningful involvement looks like for both the charity and our partners. It’s a varied role that combines relationship-building, strategy, and creativity, and no two days are ever the same.

What does ‘success’ at Schoolreaders look like for you?

Success for me is building long-term, sustainable relationships with like-minded companies that are truly mutually beneficial. I aim to deliver outstanding account management to all our corporate partners.

By partnering with Schoolreaders, companies have a wonderful opportunity to make a life-changing impact on thousands of children, and knowing I’ve helped make those partnerships happen is incredibly rewarding.

Finally, what do you do for fun?

I love spending time with my husband and our two children going for walks, playing games (Uno is our current favourite!), and enjoying café trips together. I also enjoy exercise classes and try to go to at least two a week.

In the summer months, I love wild swimming and I’m part of a women’s wild swimming group. I’m also very lucky to have some wonderful close friends who I regularly meet for walks and dinner.

Carolyn is part of the team at Schoolreaders working to build partnerships that help more children develop confidence and a love of reading. Thanks to the support of our corporate partners, Schoolreaders can continue expanding its impact and helping thousands more children discover the joy of reading. Find out more about our corporate partnerships here: https://www.schoolreaders.org/corporate-support