Your termly news from Bookmark 📚 - Spring 2024
Bookmark Reading Charity
We want every child to read. Click the link below to become a reading volunteer and change a child's story.
Spark change this New Year, begin your volunteer adventure!
There are hundreds of children waiting for a reading volunteer this New Year. Could you be the one to help change their life stories?
Not only will you support a child, there are benefits for you too! Over three-quarters of volunteers (77%) reported that volunteering improved their mental health and wellbeing.*
Hear from Hannah, our Impact and Evaluation Manager, on the impact that reading can have on a child’s mental health.
Our Impact Report is here!
In 2022/23, we reached 2,267 children and delivered 40,100 one-to-one, volunteer-led reading sessions. We have worked hard to scale our reach and deepen our impact to support more children. Read more about what our community of schools, volunteers, supporters and partners helped us achieve in our latest Impact Report.
“I would say this is the BEST reading programme we have ever participated in. It allows the valuable 1:1 time to read, which staff in schools struggle to find in school. The volunteers are amazing, and the children truly love their sessions.”
— Teacher
Anna Croghan appointed as Head of Volunteering
We’re delighted to welcome Anna to the team. Anna will be joining Bookmark in February as Head of Volunteering following her six-year career at Age UK where she has led and delivered strategic change in their national and local volunteering initiatives.
We’re partnering with Scouts!
This National Storytelling Week, we’re working with the The Scouts to provide Squirrels leaders with resources to incorporate story telling into their sessions for 4 to 6 year olds. We're proud to support Squirrels to bring the joy of reading to children in Dreys across the country.
Introducing the Literacy Partner Programme
Building a culture of reading with Bookmark
We’re delighted to introduce our Literacy Partner Programme. We will be providing bespoke packages for Bookmark partner schools to support their Whole School Reading Culture. We want to make an impact across areas where these schools need us most.
We’ll be contacting partner schools to offer involvement in the programme soon.
£232,000 worth of books donated to 116 primary schools in Sheffield
We donated £232,000 worth of new books to 116 state-funded primary schools across Sheffield. Children’s author Caryl Hart visited Emmaus Catholic and Church of England Primary School where the school received 200 new, high-quality and diverse children’s books as part of our Your Story Corner initiative.
Barking & Dagenham primary schools apply now for £2,000 worth of books!
Applications for Your Story Corner are now open for state-funded primary schools in Barking & Dagenham. Apply before Thursday 29 February to receive 200 new, high quality books suitable for children aged 4-9, an annual subscription to The Story Corner Magazine and more!
Absolutely thrilling! 🌟 Remember, as Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Your spring updates have that spirit of collective effort and innovation. Speaking of exciting collaborations, there's an upcoming sponsorship opportunity for the Guinness World Record of Tree Planting that might interest Bookmark! Learn more here: http://bit.ly/TreeGuinnessWorldRecord 🌳✨
That sounds fantastic, Bookmark team! 🎉 Remember what Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Looking forward to seeing all the incredible updates and collaborations this Spring term brings. Keep soaring! 🚀🌷