Charity recruits 1,000 new volunteers amid pandemic to support school children

A literacy charity has recruited more than 1,000 new volunteers since the first Covid-19 lockdown to help primary school children with their reading.

The charity’s support for children is often being carried out virtually through digital volunteering as schools are closed to most pupils during the current lockdown.

The charity Schoolreaders provides one-to-one reading support to more than 12,700 children a week in 650 primary schools.

Following a surge in demand for the charity’s services and increasing interest in volunteering, the charity has announced that more than 1,000 new volunteers have signed up over the last year.

This is set to see a further 10,000 children supported each week when schools are reopened.

We couldn't agree more with this headteacher!#ReadingVolunteers #ChildrensLiteracy #GetKidsReading pic.twitter.com/VnRQqPalNW
— Schoolreaders (@Schoolreaders) February 15, 2021

“It is really heartening to see that more people from the general public are stepping up to help support their local communities through volunteering, since the start of the pandemic,” said Schoolreaders founder Jane Whitbread.

“We have seen this first with the NHS and now in education. The impact of this second wave of school closures on children’s well-being, learning and future life chances is now top of the nation’s agenda.”

She added: “If a child leaves primary school not reading properly it has life-long negative consequences as they are unable to fully access their secondary education.

Our services will be needed more than ever as so many children have fallen behind with their reading since the school closures. It is amazing to see the support of the UK public and we are delighted to have so many people approaching us.”