We're delighted that Kathy's amazing work for Schoolreaders is being recognised and celebrated. Kathy had always been an active and energetic supporter of Schoolreaders, but when we were forced to stop all operations at the start of lockdown, Kathy came into her own. A retired teacher who had always loved reading aloud to her classes, Kathy was a natural in front of the camera when we launched 'Schoolreaders Storytime'. This online video scheme was put together by our team almost overnight and meant that we could still keep providing a useful service to schools, and could keep inspiring children with a love of stories. Quite quickly we were able to make 'Schoolreaders Storytime' videos available to more than 1,500 schools, and teachers reported that our films were a wonderful way to keep children engaged with books while in isolation at home.
Kathy has been shortlisted as Volunteer of the Year in the Third Sector Excellence Awards 2020. These prestigious awards recognise the achievements of charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises in the UK and we are delighted and proud that Kathy has been shortlisted.