Celebrating Our Volunteer of the Year: Jeanne Jones

We’re delighted to announce the winner of our very first Volunteer of the Year Award: Jeanne Jones, who volunteers at Gatten and Lake Primary School on the Isle of Wight.

Jeanne has been volunteering with Schoolreaders since 2021, and in that time has become a valued part of school life. Each week, she gives her time to support Year 6 pupils with their reading, offering patient, one-to-one encouragement that helps children grow in confidence and ability. Her presence is not only appreciated by staff and families, but most importantly by the children themselves.

From the moment Jeanne joined Gatten and Lake Primary, she embraced every opportunity to support the school community. As well as her weekly reading sessions, Jeanne volunteers at school events, and in 2023 became a Co-opted Governor, now sitting on both the Finance Committee and main Governing Body. Her attention to detail and commitment have been a huge asset to the school.

Beyond her work within school, Jeanne and her husband run ‘Breakfast in the Bay’, a charity initiative providing breakfast essentials to local schools and food parcels to families during school holidays. Many families at Gatten and Lake have benefited from this additional support. She has even produced an interactive educational book for the children 'Iris and Shewbert'.

The teachers at Gatten and Lake have seen first-hand the impact Jeanne has had. Her warm and reassuring approach has helped many children, particularly those who may not receive additional reading support at home.

“Her friendly, positive manner has made a real difference to our pupils. For some of our most vulnerable children, Jeanne’s support has been transformative.” - Mrs Titchener, Gatten and Lake Primary School

But it’s the words of the children themselves that truly capture the difference Jeanne has made:

“You’ve helped me succeed with my reading skills and understand the meaning of words. I’m going to high school and I’m going to miss you a lot.”

“You have boosted my confidence and my word knowledge. Thank you so much. You are a lovely person to read to!”

“I love reading with you because when you ask me what a word means, and I say something silly, we both laugh.”

These heartfelt messages are just a small selection of the comments received, and reflect the warmth and encouragement Jeanne brings to every session.

When we shared the news with Jeanne, she responded with characteristic humility:

“I am totally overwhelmed by this. It is about the children and the wonderful teachers and office staff too, I am so proud to be an ambassador for Schoolreaders.”

On behalf of all of us at Schoolreaders: thank you, Jeanne, and congratulations on being named our Volunteer of the Year!

And to each of our wonderful volunteers- thank you. Your time, care, and commitment are helping children every day to build stronger reading skills and brighter futures.