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Reading volunteers

With the help of our volunteers and supporters, we are making a real difference to children’s lives. Schools are extremely grateful for the support offered and our volunteers find the experience hugely rewarding.

Corporate Volunteer

Individual Volunteer

How Volunteering Works

Corporate volunteer

Some of our corporate partners enable individuals to visit schools on a weekly basis, while others operate a rolling programme of volunteers to spread out the commitment amongst colleagues. Supporting staff members to volunteer for the programme allows them to dedicate Corporate Social Responsibility hours to a worthwhile cause and have a direct impact on a child’s learning and development.

We aim to make the process of becoming a volunteer and working with the schools as straightforward as possible. Our Literacy Programme Co-ordinator is the initial contact and helps with the early stages of the process. Once volunteers have completed their training and the placement has been organised the school’s nominated member of staff communicates directly with the corporate partner’s designated Reading Captain in order to streamline communication.

Individual volunteer

Volunteers from the Guernsey community can also join our literacy programme, and make a real difference to children’s outcomes. Our individual volunteers are often part time workers or retired. Our volunteers benefit hugely from the programme and often develop key relationships with the children. We aim to place volunteers with a school of their choice, which is often based on where their children or grandchildren attend or is close to home.

If you are 18 years of age or over and are interested in becoming an individual reading volunteer, please contact us directly.

How volunteering works

Step-by-step

Corporate and individual volunteers train as reading volunteers and donate their time to read with children over an academic term, or more.
Each volunteer completes an online Safeguarding Children and Young People Level 1 course, has an Enhanced Data and Barring Service check and attends a one-hour training session.
The school selects the children who will benefit from reading support.

We place reading volunteers with local schools, at which point a nominated member of the school’s staff becomes the main contact to streamline communication.
The volunteer listens to each child read, offering guidance where needed, for the agreed amount of time. This one-to-one support helps to grow the children’s confidence, ability and self-esteem.

If you are interested in joining as a corporate partner or as an individual volunteer, please contact us

Contact us

Thank you for helping me with my reading. I really looked forward to you coming each week and I feel more confident now.

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Student

Being a reading volunteer is a very fulfilling activity and I can attest first hand to seeing an improvement in the children’s reading this year. My colleagues and I have really enjoyed working with the children.

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Corporate Reading Captain

Thank you for listening to me read each week and helping me understand the story.

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Student

Thank you so much for your support, the children have really enjoyed reading to you and it is pleasing to see your positive comments in their journals each week.

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Class Teacher