Over the past year, our colleagues in the UK have supported primary school children aged 5-6 in reading on a weekly basis.
We have partnered with Chapter One UK who run an online reading programme to support children in a one-to-one capacity at a time that they need it most.
Literacy levels across the UK remain low in disadvantaged areas. The Department for Education report that 36% of 11-years-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds in England leave primary school not knowing how to read well.
Arena employees across our UK divisions supported 85 sessions, giving over 34.6 volunteering hours to children’s re ading, and donated 30 books to a nearby school. Ross Robertson, Managing Director of Structures, and Group Sustainability and CSR Lead Joely Sockett visited one of the schools to celebrate the amazing progress made by the pupils on the programme.
Joely said: “The online reading volunteer programme boosts children’s confidence and enjoyment of reading, strengthens their belief that they’re good readers and sparks their excitement about the world of books. It’s been a wonderful experience to be able to spend time with these children to help boost their confidence and make a positive impact in our local community.”
