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Book Club Quiz 2021 - register here Fill in the form below and we'll send you an email with a link to the quiz questions. If you want to be in with a chance of winning one of our great prizes, don't forget to send your answers by 31st August - you'll find full instructions with the quiz questions. GOOD LUCK! ​ FAQs Quiz T&Cs Return to quiz home page

What our schools say The hundreds of schools we work with find the help of their Schoolreaders invaluable, and they often tell us that our volunteers are an asset not just in the classroom, but contribute greatly to the wider life of the school. ABOUT OUR VOLUNTEERS ‘It is fantastic for our children to be able to make a positive relationship with the Schoolreader volunteers. The impact of seeing the same person weekly and chatting together has been immeasurable on some of our more vulnerable children who don't get to read at home regularly with a parent.' - A Hertfordshire School ​ ‘This has been a really positive experience for the children…The children enjoy reading and chatting with the volunteers who are friendly, reassuring and positive in their dealings with them.’ - A Lincolnshire School ‘The children really enjoy reading to the volunteers. The volunteers seem to enjoy the experience too and are an integral part of our school community.’ - A Buckinghamshire School Our volunteer is an asset to the school, the children are keen to read to her and she has a positive impact on reading habits in school. Thankyou.’ - A Bedfordshire School ‘The volunteers are good role models for the children and they pass on their love of reading.’ - A Buckinghamshire School ‘Children were very pleased to hear that our volunteers would be coming back next year. Always a sea of hands when they arrive as children are very keen to want to read with them.’ - A Buckinghamshire School ‘It is very good to have a positive male role model for reading, especially for the older boys.’ - A Bedfordshire School ‘We feel that having our volunteer also strengthens our links with the local community. The success of having her as a volunteer has encouraged us to explore other avenues in terms of volunteers from the community supporting us. - A Bedfordshire School ABOUT THE SCHEME ‘We think the scheme is brilliant. The initial contact gives just the right amount of information on a prospective new volunteer and there is good communication between Schoolreaders and our school throughout the process.’ - A Leicestershire School ‘The way you set up the Schoolreader in school is very well done, and makes everything run smoothly. Thank you for such a valuable resource.’ - A Bedfordshire School ‘This scheme has been brilliant for us and we hope that as word gets out more, that we benefit from more volunteers. They seem pleased with their input in the school so very glad. They all want to carry on in the next school year.’ - An Oxfordshire School ‘Everyone I have spoken to, concerning this feedback form has had nothing but praise for these ladies. Their presence in our school has been greatly valued by staff and pupils. We are just so pleased we 'discovered' your organisation. Thank you.’ - An East Riding School ‘I would not hesitate to recommend Schoolreaders to other schools!’ - A Bedfordshire School ‘A fantastic scheme which really benefits the children.’ - A Bedfordshire School ‘We value our volunteers greatly – Thank you very much!’ - A Bedfordshire School ‘Inspiring children to achieve higher standards’ - A Bedfordshire School

How to get involved Your link with Schoolreaders can take a number of forms and, with input from both sides, can develop into a long-term relationship which brings many advantages to your company while also significantly benefiting us. Our team will work with you to ensure that we come up with a fundraising or donation plan that is supportive of your overall strategy, strengthens your brand and is scalable. Please telephone us today on 01234 924333 to talk about how you and your staff can get involved. CORPORATE DONATIONS Financial donations Schoolreaders provided more than 250,000 individual reading support lessons in the 2018/2019 academic year. The scale of the scheme and the fact that our sessions are completely free to schools (meaning that every child can benefit, whatever the financial situation of their school) has been made possible by the generosity of companies like yours. If you would like to donate to Schoolreaders, please contact us on 01234 924333, or go to our donate page. ​ Gifts in kind You could choose to donate products or services to help Schoolreaders deliver its programmes or carry out vital fundraising campaigns. At the same time you will be showcasing your brand products and core values to a different audience. Click here to see some of the companies who have supported us. EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Staff fundraising Blah blah blah blah blah. ​ Volunteering and pro-bono work Blah blah blah blah blah. ​ Payroll giving Blah blah blah blah blah. ​ ​ CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT Getting your customers involved in your fundraising efforts can be a very positive way of demonstrating your commitment to the wellbeing of your community, whether you operate locally or nationally. The Schoolreaders team can work with you to set up a campaign which resonates with your clients, builds connections between your staff and customers, stimulates long-term customer loyalty and is easy to implement. It may be something as simple as a 'rounding up' button added to your online checkout page, or a local fundraising event - these efforts, whatever their scale, will provide valuable support for us and will say a lot about your organisation's standards and values. ​ ​ ​ MAKE A DONATION Click here OUR COMPANY SUPPORTERS Read More WE'D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU Please call us on 01234 924333

We're delighted that you're interested in becoming a Schoolreader! Please start the application process below. If viewing this page on a mobile device, ipad or other tablet please click here for the optimised version. ​

FAQs for schools These are the questions most frequently asked by schools joining the scheme. If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us by email or telephone. How many volunteers can we ask for? There is no limit to the number of volunteers you can request. ​ Who are Schoolreaders volunteers? We recruit volunteers from the community around each school. They are not required to have any qualifications other than a good command of English, however many are retired teachers and professionals. All of them have a desire to put something into their local community, they enjoy helping children and they have committed to a minimum of a year's volunteering. ​ What age are volunteers? Our volunteers range from 18 to 92 and all are welcome! Are the volunteers trained? Schoolreaders does not train volunteers because our partner schools use them to help children from a wide range of age groups and with a wide range of reading ability. We therefore ask our partner schools to provide the guidance and training necessary for each volunteer. Where a volunteer asks us for training, we are able to direct them to additional online resources, such as phonics and safeguarding training, however this is unsupported and should not be seen as a replacement for your own training if you are able to offer it to your volunteers. ​ On what days and at what times will volunteers be available? Once we have identified a potential volunteer for your school and checked that they are happy with the match, you will be sent their profile information. This will include details of their availability. Most volunteers visit their school once a week for about two hours. ​ How long will the volunteers commit to volunteering for? We ask volunteers to commit to a minimum of a year. Many of our volunteers who joined the scheme when it started in 2013 are still volunteering with us. What facilities should we provide for volunteers? We ask that our volunteers are treated with consideration and given access to appropriate facilities in a comfortable environment. In particular, please ensure that they have somewhere comfortable to sit, on an adult-sized chair. We also ask that our volunteers are made to feel welcome and a part of the school community. Do the volunteers have training in safeguarding? Schools agree on registration to undertake safeguarding training with their volunteers and ensure volunteers are aware of the school's policy and procedures. Schoolreaders also provides supplementary online safeguarding training to new volunteers. ​ Will the volunteers know they need a DBS check? Yes, they are aware that the school will conduct an Enhanced DBS check, prior to them starting in school. The volunteers agree to the school informing Schoolreaders when this has been successfully completed. The Enhanced DBS check is a requirement, if a volunteer is already registered on the DBS update service, the school will still need to check the certificate using this service. https://www.gov.uk/dbsupdate-service. ​ Does the school have to pay for the DBS check? Yes, our Partner schools agree to pay for the volunteers' DBS checks, given the benefit that they are receiving in return. ​ Is this a free service? Yes. Our partner schools do usually undertake to pay for the volunteers' DBS checks and any training that is required. Who should we contact to discuss a volunteer? You will be given a contact at Schoolreaders central office who is there to support you on an on-going basis and answer any queries and help with any situations that might arise.

Keep in touch Join our mailing list to be the first to hear about Schoolreaders news, events, updates and fundraising opportunities. Find out more about how we protect your data in our privacy policy. Subscribe Now Click on the image below to read our latest Autumn/Winter 2022 newsletter. Our previous newsletters are available to read below. Spring 2022 April 2021 Fundraising news, April 2021 July 2020 Fundraising news, July 2020 January 2020 June 2019 September 2018 ​ January 2018 ​ July 2017 January 2017

Thank you to those who make our work possible We are very grateful to our many trust and foundation supporters, both those named below and those who wish to remain anonymous. These include: Suffolk Community Foundation J Reginald Corah Foundation Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation "The JR Corah Foundation Fund are extremely pleased to be able to support Schoolreaders in delivering this valuable service to school children in disadvantaged schools. All the trustees consider it a vital initiative as the ability to read is essential not only to get on in life but also to gain enormous pleasure on a personal front" - Peter Corah, For and on behalf of J Reginald Corah Foundation Fund Fowler Smith and Jones Trust “We were happy to offer grants because your message is so strong and powerful….a win-win scenario for the children in the short term, society in the long-term by having better literacy in the community, and also for the volunteers being able to put something back. Having been a magistrate for 25 years, I am only too aware of the problems of poor literacy, leading to low employability, low esteem and isolation. Schoolreaders is helping to address this in a very cost-effective way.” - Grants Administrator, Fowler Smith and Jones Trust The Lady Hind Trust "It is only now that I can look back at my own school days with disappointment, disenchantment, frustration and indeed unhappiness, and realise what went wrong. I was bright up to the age of 10, when reading did not affect my results, but after this age I just went steadily backwards to leave school at 16 with just a handful of O Levels. A few years ago, at the age of 62, I had to take a ‘Professional Examination’ and was actually tested for dyslexia - "yes, you are very dyslexic, somewhat dyspraxic, but a high IQ". Throughout life I have had to suffer these disabilities with no assistance, and I now realise that it was only my IQ that got me through. If only Schoolreaders had discovered me at a much earlier date - then I am sure my school career would have been so much happier. Thank you Schoolreaders for what you do today - I only wish you had been there 67 years ago!” - Charlie Barratt DL, Trustee, The Lady Hind Trust "Basic reading skills are all too easily overlooked in our increasingly digitised age. Schoolreaders provides an invaluable service helping to remedy the reading deficit at crucial stages in our children’s education. We felt it was important to support Schoolreaders by providing a multi-year grant to cover core expenses, to give them the security to build a strong foundation. We then renewed the multi-year grant to assist them to build out their services across the country.” - Multi-Year Foundation Supporters

FAQs How do I register? You can sign up for the quiz by clicking here . Once you’ve filled in a few details, we’ll email you a link to the quiz questions and information on how to send us your answers. When does the quiz run? The quiz runs between April 2021 and 31st August 2021. Registrations close on Thursday 26th August, with the quiz itself ending at midnight on Tuesday 31st August. Can I enter as an individual? Yes, the quiz is open to individuals and to groups such as Book Clubs, work colleagues, or families and friends wishing to enter as a team. ​ How do I send in my answers? Please click here to send us your answers. Answers must be submitted by midnight on 31st August 2021 if you would like to be eligible for a prize. What are the prizes? First prize will be a case of Prosecco (to be shared if you have entered as a team), as well as signed books. Everyone submitting an entry, regardless of their score, will be entered into a draw for further prizes and our wonderful reading volunteers will be entered into a prize draw of their own. Do I have to send in my answers? No, you can just do the quiz for your own entertainment, but if you’d like the chance to win a prize you do need to submit your answers. ​ How do I see the correct quiz answers? Correct quiz answers will be posted on our website in early September, with winners being notified shortly afterwards. How can I donate? Please click here to donate. If you are participating as a team and think others might like to donate, please help them find our website - www.schoolreaders.org - or ask them to visit Virgin Money Giving and search for Schoolreaders Book Club Quiz. Thank you for supporting us. ​ Terms and Conditions Please click here to see the quiz Terms & Conditions. Any further questions or comments? Please contact us on 01234 924 333 or email us on quiz@schoolreaders.org . We’d love to hear from you.

Annual Report 2022

COUNTY TEAMS April 2021 VOLUNTARY COUNTY AMBASSADORS ROSIE CUNNINGHAM, Dorset Ambassador Rosie worked in PR and advertising in England, France and South Africa. She lives near Sherborne in the beautiful county of Dorset and has two teenage children in secondary school. She was governor of a local primary school for four years and worked as a reading volunteer with children in Key Stages 1 & 2, witnessing first-hand the importance of listening to children read on a one-to-one basis. Rosie is now studying at the Open University for a degree in English Literature proving that it is never too late to learn. VICTORIA DUNLOP, Hertfordshire Ambassador Victoria has a degree in History and French and worked in retail and investment management. She has lived in Hertfordshire for 30 years and is married with 2 adult children. She helped as a reading volunteer at her children’s primary schools, and raised funds for charities at their secondary schools. She is now a reading volunteer at a school in Stevenage which she loves. She supports the NSPCC with fund raising events, and is a telephone volunteer with the the Miscarriage Association. She enjoys reading, fitness and gardening. BUMBLE GAMBIER, Suffolk Fundraising Ambassador Bumble has been involved in numerous charitable and fundraising projects in Suffolk, many of them focused around the junior school attended by her three children. She says, ‘I am delighted to be involved with Schoolreaders because I am passionate about reading and love the idea of local children benefitting from our volunteers and the Schoolreaders service’. EMMA ALTHAUS, Somerset Ambassador Emma grew up in Ireland and has been living in the UK for over 25 years. With a background in marketing, she ran events in the charity sector before working in the advertising industry for 12 years. She joined forces with her husband to run their landscape business in 2007 and the family now lives in Somerset. Emma has a teenage daughter and is closely involved in running village and community events. LAURA KENYON-SLANEY, Oxfordshire Ambassador Overseas postings to South Africa and Australia before a return to the UK meant that Laura’s three children grew up experiencing a number of very different educational systems. It was obvious to Laura that whatever the system used in local schools, the one-to-one time spent with a patient adult was tremendously helpful in building their confidence and improving their reading. Laura’s family has now settled in Oxfordshire, where they have built their own house, and Laura is a Schoolreader in her local school. MANDY KELLAGHER, Cornwall Supporter Mandy has lived in Cornwall for over 30 years, 25 of which were spent working as a vet before diversifying into teaching English to adult foreign language students and some part-time ceramic work. She was a primary school governor for 8 years when her now adult children were pupils and was invited back onto the board 3 years ago, so maintains an active involvement with the school. She is also trying to make time to do more travelling as well as a variety of watersports, walking, snowboarding, tennis and is struggling with being an adult beginner cellist. NICKY RAMSDEN, Leicestershire and Rutland Ambassador Nicky has lived in Leicestershire for 20 years. As well as having taught yoga for the last 15 years, Nicky is active in a number of voluntary roles, acting as secretary of the church council, and fundraiser for VIP Companionship for older people. Nicky has three children, four dogs and lots of chickens. She grew up in Kenya, and has spent time living in Madrid. Nicky believes strongly in the power of the Schoolreaders approach, ‘It's a clever idea to match volunteers with the young - and I know that reading is fundamental to my life’. PENNY HUBBARD, Norfolk Ambassador Penny is passionate about reading and never had her nose out of a book when she was a child! Her life was changed for ever when she got a place at Cambridge University from her Direct Grant School to read English Literature and from there she went on to qualify as a Commercial Property Solicitor in London, becoming a partner at a major City Law Firm. After a short career break during the teenage years of her two daughters, she spent nearly 12 years as Development Director raising funds for Newnham College (her old College). Much of her work there was to help disadvantaged students from less privileged backgrounds thrive at Cambridge. Currently, she is a part time executive business coach and fundraising consultant. Penny and her husband, who is a fanatical kite surfer, live in Old Hunstanton with their jack russell and springer spaniel. EMMA WARD, Cambridgeshire Ambassador Emma became a Schoolreaders supporter and listener on retirement after working in academic publishing, the music business, retail marketing, catering & events. She wanted to do something useful as well as her favourite pastimes - travelling, reading, tennis, cycling, yoga, singing, gardening, cooking. She thinks the Schoolreaders model is a brilliant one as it has far reaching benefits for all concerned. She has lived in the Cambridgeshire area with her husband for 30 years and has two adult children. JUDY STEWART, Bedfordshire Ambassador After Durham University, Judy worked in the city as an analyst for various stockbrokers. She has lived in north Bedfordshire for thirty years and was the county representative for the NGS. She has been involved in various local activities including being a Parish Councillor for over twenty years and is a Schoolreader at her local school. She is married with three adult children JO GAMMELL, Hampshire Ambassador Following a career in the City, Jo moved to Hampshire where she runs her own small bespoke stationery business. She has been a Governor of an infant school, and has helped as a reading assistant and with other activities at her local school. Jo is married and has two grown-up children. She shares her home with her dogs, chickens, and some rescue donkeys. ​ ALISON SEATON, Berkshire Ambassador Alison read English at Manchester University before doing a Law conversion course. She practiced as a Criminal Barrister in London until, in her early 30s, family life intervened. For over 20 years she has been involved with numerous charities [including First Story, a charity providing opportunities for under-served young people to participate in creative writing activities]. At present she is an Assessor for The Hardman Trust, a charity which supports prisoners who are planning for their future beyond prison. She believes in the fundamental importance of improving literacy skills in primary schools to aid children's personal wellbeing and advancement, which cannot be overstated. SUSIE WIGGINTON, Buckinghamshire Ambassador Susie has a degree in psychology and worked in London as a market researcher before starting a family. She lived in Chicago for 5 years before moving to north Buckinghamshire 20 years ago and there she worked as a Headmaster’s PA for 12 years which she found fascinating. Her love for children led her to volunteer with a bereaved children’s charity in Milton Keynes and she enjoys tennis, walking, painting, gardening and travel. VOLUNTARY COUNTY SUPPORTERS VOLUNTARY COUNTY SUPPORTERS SUZANNE BUCKLAND, Nottinghamshire County Supporter Suzanne spent a decade working in London in Marketing before moving to Nottinghamshire. She became involved in fundraising and charity events for her children's school, and was active helping the younger children to read. She also learnt Sign Language to Level 2 and became a volunteer in a school to help a child with hearing difficulties. She has also been a volunteer in a Nursing Home as an Activities Co-ordinator. PETER HENRY, Buckinghamshire County Supporter After a career in marketing, Peter is now focussed on volunteering. Currently, he is an Enterprise Advisor with the Bucks Skills Hub where his role is to work with secondary schools to help provide the students with experiences with the world of work, enabling them to make better decisions about their paths through higher, further education and into a career. He joined Schoolreaders in 2021 as a reader at an Infant’s School in Watford and in 2022 took on the additional role of County Supporter for Bucks. In addition he has carried out projects for the organisation in the area of school engagement. One of his personal goals is to grow the number of male volunteers readers as, especially in infant schools, male role models are very much appreciated. VICTORIA COUBROUGH, Bedfordshire Supporter Victoria has lived in Bedfordshire for 25 years and has 4 grown up children and 2 grandchildren. With a degree in hotel and business management, Victoria’s early career was in the hospitality industry, before setting up and running small businesses; and is currently a director of a hotel and a cottage letting business. Keen to support children and early education, Victoria has been a reading volunteer in primary schools and a mentor at secondary schools. She set up a branch of the NSPCC whilst living in north London and is a founding member and trustee of The Friends of her local church. Victoria's interests include cookery, literature, art and painting, equestrian sports and, more recently, golf. ANNA PHILLIPS, Bedfordshire Supporter English literature and language have been my lifelong passion. Reading endlessly as a child equipped me to study English at Oxford University, work as a journalist and later as an English teacher. It’s wonderful to support children starting on their reading journey as a Schoolreader. I love gardening, dog walking and seeing friends and family and am still trying to hit a decent 9 holes on the golf course!

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