Charity calls for volunteers to change a child’s life through the power of reading this Volunteers’ Week
One in four children leave primary school unable to read to the expected standard but a charity operating in Wolverhampton is making a tangible difference.
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Schoolreaders provides over 33,000 children with weekly classroom reading sessions in England, connecting over 3,300 volunteers with primary schools.
Research by Schoolreaders reveals that 94% of children increased reading confidence following volunteer reading sessions and 72% benefited from spending time with a positive role model.
The charity, which sets children up to enjoy a lifetime of learning, is seeking more volunteers across the region.
Using sophisticated software Schoolreaders will match new volunteers to partner schools with the most disadvantaged children to help address gaps in attainment across the West Midlands.
One volunteer who found the Schoolreaders experience deeply enriching is Cody Jenkins, 24, a recent graduate with a degree in Chemistry.
He has been a dedicated Schoolreaders volunteer for over a year helping children in his local community improve their reading skills.
Cody discovered Schoolreaders through Wolverhampton Volunteering Community Action.
He said: “I really liked what Schoolreaders does, especially for children that might not be super enthusiastic about reading. I liked that the scheme lets children build a relationship whilst also improving skills that they’ll use in the future.”
Cody reads with up to 20 children each week and relishes the friendly exchanges he has with them.
Cody added: “One child really wanted to read Harry Potter books with me, and we had good discussions about them, which was nice because I read those when I was his age.
“Another child and I got glasses at the same time, so we chatted about wearing them and the changes they bring!”
Cody is proud of the impact his volunteering is having.
“I enjoyed seeing the children twice a week and finding out what they’d learnt and how their week had been,” Cody said. “The increase in their reading ability filled me with such accomplishment as I felt our time was well spent together.”
Cody’s story is a shining example of how volunteering can enrich both the volunteer and the community.
99.7% of Schoolreaders’ volunteers, like Cody, would recommend Schoolreaders to another potential volunteer and 99% of schools reported that Schoolreaders volunteers enhanced the reading culture of the school.
If Schoolreaders were to monetise the value of its volunteers’ hours, the value of total hours would equate to a minimum of £2,575,757 at the National Living Wage rate for the 2023/24 year.
The estimated value of its volunteers’ time since the charity started in 2013 is almost £8 million.
With that in mind, Schoolreaders is calling on others to follow in Cody’s footsteps. If you can spare just an hour a week, you can help children develop a lifelong love of reading.
Volunteers are provided with guidance and training, including safeguarding and reading support best practice.
To learn more about volunteering with Schoolreaders, visit Schoolreaders.org/volunteer
