Rachel Bourke is part of our Reading Heroes team which supports care experienced children aged 2-15 years to improve their confidence and spark a love of reading for pleasure, by pairing them with a highly trained volunteer to enjoy the magic of reading aloud together. As the project expands, we are looking to recruit new volunteers to give an hour a week and be part of this incredible project. We speak to Rachel about how Reading Heroes is more important than ever.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at The Reader.Â
I joined The Reader just before Christmas last year, so I’ve been here almost a year! I love working here – my background is in Children’s books, so the Reading Heroes Team is a perfect fit for me. As a Reading Heroes Coordinator, my role is to support our volunteers and families through their time with us to make it as wonderful an experience as possible! I also curate the books that we choose to send our Reading Heroes.
Why do you think the Reading Heroes project is so important?
Even though I’ve only been here a short time, I have already seen the impact that Reading Heroes has on the children we support. Through reading together once a week, our volunteers help them to develop their confidence… they become less afraid of reading, and more able to enjoy stories… It’s so much more than just reading words on a page.
What would you say to someone looking to become a Reading Heroes volunteer?
I’d say it’s probably one of the most rewarding things you could volunteer to do. You give a child something so positive that they can then carry forward into the rest of their lives – A love of stories, the joy of reading, and being a consistent presence for the duration of the project.
What can someone expect when they sign up to become a Reading Heroes volunteer?
We will be in touch with you to have a chat, and give you a bit more information about Reading Heroes! We have a fantastic team to support you through all the different stages of the process – all our volunteers must first complete training and then a DBS and Safeguarding check before we place them with a young person. We have so many children waiting to start reading with someone – I would say, if you are interested – please get in touch. We cannot deliver this amazing shared reading programme without you!
We’re really excited to be expanding our Reading Heroes project and now the hunt is on for more fantastic volunteers to read with children. Could you, or someone you know, spare an hour a week to read with a care experienced child? Find out more and apply here.
