Kindred Takes the Leap for Schoolreaders and Raises an Incredible £3,025!

With one in four children still leaving primary school not reading to the expected standard, we still have a lot of work to do to help change the story around children's literacy. That is why we are so grateful for the continued support of our long-term corporate partner, Kindred, whose latest fundraising challenge saw seven team members quite literally take a leap of faith for children's literacy and life chances.

On Sunday 14 June, seven brave members of the Kindred team headed to the North London Skydiving Centre to take part in a tandem skydive in support of Schoolreaders. Arriving bright and early at 7.30am, the team began the day with training before suiting up, meeting their instructors and preparing for the challenge ahead.

Despite plenty of understandable nerves before take-off, every member of the team successfully completed their skydive. Back on the ground, colleagues, friends and family created a fantastic atmosphere, cheering the team on and capturing memorable landing videos as each participant touched down.

Reflecting on the experience, Kindred's Abbie Cook said:

"It was such a surreal experience getting into the plane with everyone and watching them jump out one by one. I was so nervous! But as soon as you jump it's the best feeling ever and the views were incredible."

Kindred has been supporting Schoolreaders since 2022, and our partnership has continued to grow from strength to strength.

As a company that works with schools every day, Kindred understands the importance of helping children build strong literacy skills and develop a love of reading. Their commitment to supporting Schoolreaders helps more children access the one-to-one reading support that can transform confidence, enjoyment and progress in the classroom.

Speaking about the partnership, the Kindred team said:

"The work Schoolreaders does to support children to build literacy skills is invaluable, and as a company that works with schools each day, we're proud to support a charity that's making such a meaningful impact on children's lives and across the communities we work with."

The skydive challenge proved to be a huge success, raising an incredible £3,025, almost double the team's original fundraising target of £1,600.

Kindred told us that the encouragement they received throughout the challenge played a huge part in making the experience so special.

"All the support behind the scenes from everyone at Kindred, the Schoolreaders team, and friends and family made it such a positive and memorable experience."

Every pound raised will help Schoolreaders recruit, train and place volunteers in primary schools, providing children with weekly one-to-one reading support throughout the school year.

Every £40 raised supports one child with an entire year of weekly one-to-one reading support. Thanks to the generosity of everyone who donated, the impact of this challenge will be felt by many children who need extra help to build their confidence and reading skills.

The skydive was not the first challenge Kindred has taken on this year, and it will not be the last. Earlier in 2026, the team completed a two-day Rowathon, raising £1,000 while rowing the equivalent distance from their Hatfield office to Rotterdam.

The skydive was the second of four fundraising challenges planned for the year. Next up, a team of 11 will travel to the Norwegian Fjords in August for a kayaking and hiking expedition. Then, in September, a team of 15 will head to Cornwall to tackle a marathon coastal trek.

Their determination, enthusiasm and ongoing commitment to Schoolreaders continue to inspire us, and we cannot wait to follow their next adventures.

To everyone at Kindred, and to every colleague, friend and family member who donated or cheered from the sidelines, thank you. Your support is helping more children discover the confidence and joy that comes from reading well.