A Day in the Life: Meet Susan, Schoolreaders Engagement & Outreach Coordinator

Susan Lawrie, Schoolreaders Engagement & Outreach Coordinator

Behind every Schoolreaders volunteer placement is a small, dedicated team working to connect volunteers and schools across the country.

With over one in five primary schools now registered and requesting support, our regional coordinators like Susan play a vital role in making sure no school is left waiting too long for a volunteer.

We spoke to her to find out more about a day in the life at Schoolreaders.

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

I’m Susan, and I’m an Engagement & Outreach Coordinator for Schoolreaders. I live in York and cover volunteer and school recruitment across the North East and part of the East Midlands.

How long have you been with Schoolreaders?

I’ve just celebrated my one-year anniversary, so I’m still fairly new to the team, but it already feels like I’ve been here much longer!

Can you tell us a bit about your previous job role, and why you chose to join the team here?Before joining Schoolreaders, I worked as a Specialist Primary Teaching Assistant for 10 years. I supported children with social, emotional, and mental health needs, many of whom found school challenging for a variety of reasons.

My husband served with HM Forces, so we moved around a lot, and I worked in five different schools over those 10 years!

Joining Schoolreaders has allowed me to continue focusing on education, something I’m deeply passionate about, while also having the flexibility of working from home or from different locations around the North.

What does a typical 'day in your life' look like?

My main focus is recruiting new Schoolreaders volunteers. Each day brings something different, from reaching out to local community groups and media outlets to hosting talks for local organisations, to coordinating with schools across my region. It’s a mix of creativity, persistence, and a lot of communication!

Earlier this year, I did my first-ever TV interview, which was fun (and slightly terrifying!). Social media is also a big part of my outreach. Local Facebook groups, for example, are a great way to connect with potential volunteers in specific areas.

I also deliver talks to local groups like the Women’s Institute (WI), Rotary, and the University of the Third Age (U3A) to share more about Schoolreaders and the difference our volunteers make. I recently spoke at a WI Federation meeting to over 400 ladies.

Although I work from home, I am often on the road, and I visit Schoolreaders HQ in Bedford once a term. It’s always lovely to see the rest of the team in person, rather than just as faces on a screen.

In addition to volunteer recruitment, I also work with primary schools across the North East to encourage them to become Schoolreaders partner schools. Every new placement involves careful planning and support from our small national team, and it’s thanks to that infrastructure that volunteers can step into schools smoothly and start making a difference.

What does 'success' at Schoolreaders look like for you?

Our volunteers delivered over 1 million reading sessions last year - that’s an incredible achievement!

Having worked in schools for 10 years, I know how difficult it can be for staff to find time to hear children read. So when I see the positive feedback we receive from schools about the impact our volunteers make, it always makes me smile.

With one in five primary schools in England now registered with Schoolreaders, we’re well on our way to making an even greater impact in the years to come. But, with so many schools still waiting, continued support for our small recruitment and outreach team is essential to keep pace with demand.

Finally, what do you do for fun?

As you’d expect from someone working at Schoolreaders, I love reading and am a big fan of The Thursday Murder Club series. I also sing in a local choir called Some Voices, which gives me a great excuse to embrace my inner pop star!

Living in York means I’m surrounded by beautiful countryside, so I enjoy getting out for walks with my dog. But if I’m being honest, most of my spare time is spent being a volunteer chauffeur for my 15-year-old daughter!

Susan is part of the team at Schoolreaders who work to connect volunteers with schools across England. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, our small team can continue working to recruit incredible volunteers and match them with the schools that need us most, helping thousands more children to discover the joy of reading.