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A Positive Outlook The 2021/22 school year ended with a great deal of relief that the challenges caused by the pandemic at the start of the year had largely been overcome.Thanks to our amazing volunteers, by the end of the summer term over 10,000 children were receiving a one-to-one reading support session EVERY WEEK in school. We have had a huge number of new volunteers join us this year as there is a keen desire to help those disadvantaged by the pandemic catch up. Schoolreaders unique mapping system enables a volunteer to be matched with the school that needs them most.We remain unique as the only literacy charity providing volunteer in-school reading support to primary schools across the nation, for free. The feedback we receive from schools is unanimous in praise for the benets that our Schoolreaders volunteers bring, not only with children’s reading ability and enjoyment but also with secondary positives of increasing children’s condence, social skills and independence. Our volunteers are also wonderful role models in the classroom.As we start the new academic year, our target is to provide 18,000 children with a weekly reading session by next July, prioritising the most disadvantaged children. Thank you to our volunteers without whom these children would not be supported, and to our donors, large and small, without whose support the charity could not operate. You are truly changing the life stories of thousands of children.Jane WhitbreadFounder1 Registered Charity Number: 1159157New Target Counties We are expanding into new counties including North and East Yorkshire, Lancashire and the West Midlands so more children can receive crucial reading support. If you know of any friends or relations who might be interested in becoming a Schoolreaders volunteer in these areas please recommend us!Reaching More and More Children every YearSince the charity started nearly 10 years ago, we have steadily and strategically grown in order to provide more and more children with vital reading support. Over the last academic year we secured the highest ever scores in our volunteers’ impact on children’s reading uency (91%) and reading condence (95%) alongside high levels for reading enjoyment (87%).Autumn/Winter 2022 NewsletterThousands of children receive vital reading support every week from a Schoolreaders volunteerWe’re Making a Difference!www.schoolreaders.org
2Thank You to... • The Benefact Group who awarded us a £1,000 grant following a public vote.• Fired Earth who join us as new corporate supporters.• Waitrose in Ampthill, Bedfordshire who donated £500. • All Trusts and Foundations who commit to multi-year funding grants, enabling us to plan longer-term. • SDC in Bedford who raised £23,000 for us at a fantastic charity fundraising night.Annual Report: Our full 2021 Annual Report and Accounts are available to view on our website.We’ve Raced for Reading Phew! It’s been a hectic three months but in June we nished Race for Reading 2022, racing 28,000 miles virtually around the globe in 80 days to raise awareness of the need to improve children’s literacy in primary schools. The initiative has raised over £20,000 to support more children with their reading.We’ve been helped on the road this year by our joint corporate sponsors, Kindred and Maths Circle Ltd, whose teams clocked up an impressive 3,977 miles between them. Antonia McKinley from Bedfordshire covered 564 miles in 16 cycle rides, raising over £1,600, saying, “Becoming a Schoolreaders volunteer has exceeded my expectations and is one of the best parts of my week. Being able to read is the greatest gift you can give a child. They can go on to cook, build a rocket or run the country!”The ancient Romans loved word play, beginning with their city’s name: the inverse of ROMA, to the delight of all Latin lovers, is AMOR. And this interest in palindromes (words that read the same forwards and backwards) was probably behind ancient affection for ‘word squares’. These puzzles, precursors of our modern crosswords, can be read in each and every direction. The earliest known word square was found in the ruins of Pompeii and others have been found all over the Roman Empire, scratched and carved onto walls; the catchiest meme of their day. Latin Word PlayA word square from Oppède, France. It reads ‘SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS’, or ‘The farmer Arepo works a plough’.Do You Know? (Answers on Page 4). 1. Who are Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell better known as? 2. What was the name of the family who Paddington Bear lived with?3. What was the name of Charles Dickens’ last book which was left unnished?4. What was the name of Prince Charles’ book, the one he read on Jackanory?5. Which travel writer comes from De Moines, Iowa?Can You Solve These Three Anagrams?1. CATRILEY 2. CREMONA3. INDICATORYof children supported improved their reading age as a direct result of support from a Schoolreaders volunteerWe are aiming to support 18,000 children in 2022/23of schools state that Schoolreaders volunteers are needed more than pre-pandemic• Loughborough University Shakespeare Society who raised over £600 with their sold-out production of Romeo and Juliet.Antonia McKinley95% 18,000 89%
Antonia McKinley“If you are happy making a positive connection with children, instilling condence, using encouragement and praise, go ahead and give Schoolreaders a try!” Frank, Hampshire, one of our oldest volunteersHelping Children across the NationWith over 1,500 volunteers registered with us, behind every person is a different motivation for becoming a Schoolreaders volunteer. 99% of our volunteers recommend becoming a Schoolreaders volunteer, with 77% reporting a positive outcome in being able to make a difference to the lives of others. Added to that, children, literacy leads and head teachers come together to make a very happy family. “A teacher friend of mine lit the ember which inspired me to volunteer. She said, ‘We need more people like you in schools to enthuse the children’. I wasn’t sure about calling schools up out of the blue, but I did some Googling and came across Schoolreaders.” David, semi-retired, Norfolk“Being a Schoolreaders volunteer will help me gain valuable experience with pupils and hopefully be a stepping-stone to a future career in the classroom.” Adam, York, juggling a PHD in English Literature with NHS work “Our higher attaining pupils now have the opportunity to read and discuss books with an adult. These children have been overlooked in the past so it’s great they have this opportunity.” English Lead, Primary School, Hertfordshire“I emigrated from Hong Kong two years ago. I wanted to engage with some book-related volunteering in my new community.”Fi, Nottinghamshire“Volunteering with Schoolreaders ts in so well with my studying.” Becky, student, Staffordshire“The Dr Seuss saying, ‘The more that you read, the more things you will know’, is very true! Reading is essential; it’s the key to everything in life. If you can read you can do anything.” Caroline, Headteacher, Primary School, Leicester “As most of our volunteers are older, they feel like a grandparent gure which puts children at ease.” English Lead, Primary School, Dorset“I have a few health problems which means volunteering ts perfectly with my lifestyle. I’m at a multi-cultural school where many of the children don’t have English as a rst language.”Sarah, Bradford“I was denite I didn’t want a school in my own locality. I wanted to go somewhere where the kids aren’t reading well or don’t have stories read to them when they go home at night.” Alison, retired nurse, Sutton Coldeld3Did you know... You can now set up a birthday fundraiser for us on Facebook?“I like reading to Diane because she is kind and helps me understand the words I am reading.”Y1 child, Leicester Primary School“We love reading to Mrs Philpott!”Children, Primary School Hertfordshire
Ben OkriWe Love Literacy Festivals! We are fortunate to have the support and endorsement of so many children’s authors. Earlier this year, our Oxford County Team enabled hundreds of primary school children from our partner schools to attend the Oxford Literacy Festival and listen to talks from inspiring children’s writers. Summertime Book Review CompetitionOur Book Review competition open to all primary school aged children is running until 30th September 2022. Prizes include a Zoom chat for the winning child’s class with best-selling author Zanib Mian, plus lots of amazing books.Schoolreaders CIO. Registered charity: 1159157. If you would like to change the way we contact you please email: ofce@schoolreaders.orgSafety FirstSafeguarding is a core priority at Schoolreaders and its partner schools, with the safety of primary school children paramount. All new volunteers will undertake a mandatory online safeguarding support course, in addition to their school’s safeguarding training requirements.Charity Christmas CardsWe are delighted to share this year’s Christmas card, a beautiful design from hugely popular illustrator and author, Simon James (creator of the lovable precocious character Baby Brains, Rex and Mr Scruff - Simonjamesbooks.com).The cards will be available on our website from September, with designs also available via Dontsendmeacard.com for those who would prefer to send a card virtually.A Lovely LegacyWe are thrilled with the ongoing support of award-winning writer Sophie Neville, who was one of the stars ‘Titty’ of the original Swallows and Amazon lm. Sophie is a keen supporter of Schoolreaders who not only participated in Race for Reading this year by recording her litter picking walks but is also kindly leaving Schoolreaders a Gift in her Will.“As a child I was a very slow reader until I received extra help. I have left a Gift in my Will to Schoolreaders as I believe wholeheartedly that every child should have the chance to learn to read well.”Open GardensWe were delighted when our Berkshire County Team got in touch to suggest opening a garden to raise funds for Schoolreaders. This is a simple, yet relaxed, way to raise awareness of our charity and a wonderful way of raising funds. Do contact us if you would like to open your garden for us in 2023. To nd out more about volunteering or supporting us, call 01234 924111 or visit our website: www.schoolreaders.orgHow many words can you nd in this grid? Each letter must follow the letter adjacent to it to complete a word (but can go diagonally, vertically, horizontally or backwards). The person who nds the most will win a book token! Email your answers to: ofce@schoolreaders.org by 30th September 2022. In the event of a tie, a winner will be drawn out of a hat.Y E S SC H O OL R E AD E R SJacqueline WilsonKatherine RundellPuzzles AnswersDo You Know?1. Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte2. The Browns3.The Mystery Of Edwin Drood4.The Old Man of Lochnagar5. Bill BrysonAnagram Answers.1. LITERACY2. ROMANCE3. DICTIONARYOnjali RaufDid You Know?All our work at Schoolreaders is funded through kind donations, grants and gifts in Wills. Every one pound donated makes a difference and just £30 will provide a whole year’s one-to-one reading support for a child.Puzzle Time