Reading Borough Council has awarded local reading charity ABC to Read a grant of £3,000 to recruit, train and support 10 new volunteers to give one-to-one mentoring to local children who are struggling to read!

The grant will also be used to deliver workshops in Reading schools as well as training older students to mentor younger pupils. Younger children then benefit from peer support, older children gain leadership skills and volunteer opportunities and parents can participate in workshops to give them the confidence they need to support their children’s literacy at home. Reading schools are encouraged to contact the charity to find out more about how their early years literacy goals could be supported as well as finding out what opportunities they could offer to their older students and parents.

ABC to Read work with primary school children who have been identified by their schools as struggling most with their reading. The charity’s model of assigning a volunteer to work with children on a one-to-one basis is achieving excellent results and leaving teachers and children alike thrilled with their progress. In their most recent annual report, a staggering 100% of the local Berkshire children who benefit from a one-to-one ABC to Read mentor improved in their reading confidence. The report also highlighted that 98% of the youngsters working with them have improved in their comprehension and attitudes towards reading and 97% have enhanced their accuracy.

Marcia Rowlinson, ABC to Read CEO, said: “Not only do our wonderful volunteers improve the children’s reading skills, they also inspire a love of reading and we see a noticeable improvement in self-esteem and confidence in the children we work with. The key to our work is the training we offer to our volunteers, so they are well equipped to inspire and coach. The 10 new volunteers supported by this generous grant from Reading Borough Council will make a tangible difference in the lives of our local youngsters and we’re so grateful for the support.”

On average, 360 children are encouraged and mentored by an ABC to Read volunteer every year, with 12,000 hours invested into improving not only their reading ability but their enjoyment of the pastime as well as their general attitudes and confidence.

With many vacancies that could be filled with more volunteers and increasing numbers of children who need support, ABC to Read are actively looking for new volunteers to take part in training – with the next training taking place this month (January 2023). Schools that are in need of additional reading support are also being actively encouraged to sign up for ABC to Read mentors and programmes.

For more information about training days or joining the scheme as a school or volunteer mentor, contact: info@abctoread.org.uk