Read With Me is looking for funding and volunteers

Read With Me’s one-to-one reading sessions help children learn to read well which in turn improves their literacy and builds their confidence. These fundamental skills position a child in the ‘driving seat’ of their own future, opening up the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and deprivation and to fulfil their potential. Children who don’t learn to read, struggle with the school curriculum,  employment and self-sufficiency; and are disproportionately represented in the prison population.

Read With Me also runs the Not-So-Secret Book Clubs every holiday, providing storytelling and creative opportunities, treasure hunts, crafts and, of course, free preloved books.  In particular, children in areas of greatest deprivation and those arriving in Gloucester with English as a second language, may not have any books at home.

Read With Me runs on a shoestring. In addition to operational expenditure, it costs £100 to check and train each volunteer and £70 a year thereafter to maintain their role.

Locally, Read With Me is partnered with Woolaston Primary School and as such the scheme is seeking £640 towards the costs of maintaining the role of 2 existing volunteers and onboarding 5 new volunteers.

Equipping the youngest residents in the community is key for each child and essential to the social fabric of  Gloucestershire. The article at this link reflects the importance of Read With Me’s work: https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/primary/fix-basic-literacy-promoting-reading-pleasure

We need more volunteers and continued financial support to reach every child who needs us.