A READING-based charity that helps children get to grips with reading has been awarded a grant to further its work.
Sovereign Housing Association, working with not-for-profit digital fundraising platform The Good Exchange, gave grants between £485 and £5,000 to ABC To Read, as well as online community group Advantages of Age, and The Money Charity.
ABC To Read will use the funding towards recruiting, training, and supporting at least 30 new volunteer reading mentors, to meet demand from primary schools.
Marcia Rowlinson, the charity’s CEO, said: “It is absolutely crucial to address the education gap caused by Covid-19, to improve the future prospects of our local youngsters.
“Our volunteers are a critical part of the recovery process at this difficult time, bridging that gap and inspiring a love of reading, and we are very grateful for the support of Sovereign Housing and The Good Exchange in helping us impact as many Berkshire children as we can.”
The grants were welcomed by Sovereign. The housing association’s social impact officer Jade Innes said that it was important to invest in training-focused projects at this time.
“We want our residents and communities to be able to use these resources to grow their skills and use the experience to help them reach their goals and thrive,” she said.
ABC To Read is seeking new volunteers, it also welcomes applications from schools wanting support. For details, email info@abctoread.org.uk