Highlights of the year

1. Highlights of the year • Almost 300 children have benefited from the support of our volunteers during the year • 41 new community volunteers have been trained during the year of which 30 have been placed in schools and 1 is waiting to start • As at 31st March we had 85 active volunteers and 1 waiting to start and several who were taking a break but intending to return

2. In March we ran a Pencil and Paper Games session in Slough. The course was so well received in Slough that it was run again in Reading this term. A number of volunteers have been signposted to Universal Level 1 Safeguarding courses in their Local Authority or have been trained by their school. Highlights of the year

3. Highlights of the year • In December around 30 volunteers attended a poetry performance and writing workshop with local poet, James Carter, in Reading.

4. Highlights of the year • Book exchanges have been well attended, particularly in Reading, with some volunteers grateful for the opportunity to call in to the office and exchange books on request. • Our schools’ evaluation achieved a return rate of just over 55%, with many positive comments about the service we offer and particularly about difference our volunteers make. • The children’s comments on their sessions continued to provide us with important feedback, with 76% giving their sessions the top rating (and remember, many of our children are very reluctant readers!)

5. Highlights of the year • Volunteer Louise Hardcastle ran in the New York marathon earlier this year, raising well over £1000 for ABC to read, when Gift Aid was added to the total collected. Well done Louise - what a fantastic achievement!

6. Our Fundraising subcommittee has been very supportive, organising our sponsored walk and annual quiz night which raised around £3000 altogether this year. The work of this small group is very important to the survival of the charity and they would welcome more members and any new ideas Highlights of the year

7. Highlights of the year • The weather and the willing support of so many of our volunteers, staff and their friends and families helped us to raise a record £515 at this year’s Meadow Madness event in May. Special thanks to the many staff, trustees, volunteers, supporters, family and friends who help with this event. • A new venture this year was face painting. We were especially grateful to volunteer Anne Carey and to Cathy’s sister-in-law Claire, for all their efforts on the day

8. Highlights of the year • We were grateful for the support of several members of AWBS for their help at Eton Action Fair this year, as well as their donations for both Eton Action Fair and Meadow Madness • Kyocera Mita UK continue to help us with meeting rooms, printing posters and other ‘in kind’ support

9. Highlights of the year A new parent volunteer course was run as a pilot at Godolphin Junior School in Slough, which was so well received that we have now started to offer it to other schools Trustee and retired Head, Paul Dieppe, has supported our initial training courses and has run a parent volunteer course for us at Colnbrook Primary school, near Slough We are piloting support for EAL pupils in a Wokingham Secondary school this term

10. Getting our message heardis becoming increasingly vital and this year we have done this by: • Making acceptance speeches at presentations by Hilton in the Community Foundation and the Federation of Children’s Book Groups Conference • Speaking to individual members of AWBS about our work at their meetings • Speaking to Head Teachers at the Slough Heads’ meeting • Talking to customers while bag packing in Sainsbury’s Reading store

11. Getting our message heard • Participating in events run by Connect Reading, Slough Business Community Partnership and Berkshire Community Foundation • Participating in radio interviews on Radio Berkshire and Reading4U • Through media reports, signposting our website and displays in local libraries • Networking with other organisations in the voluntary sector throughout Berkshire • Getting a mention in the Daily Telegraph!

12. Thank you! • Our biggest achievement of the year though, is that we have helped around 300 children to see reading as something which they CAN do - and enjoy! • A huge thank you to all our volunteers, on behalf of the children you help, however long you’ve been volunteering

13. ……and a special thank you to our Trustees, who provide such great support for the charity I

14. Ways you can help support our work • Tell friends, family and colleagues and acquaintances about us, what we do – and why our work is so vital • Let us know if you have any links with individuals or organisations which might be interested in supporting our work – in kind or financially • Collect old printer cartridges, mobile phones foreign or old coins and notes or unwanted jewellery for us to recycle –ask us for envelopes • Do your online shopping through thegivingmachine.com – just one extra click!

15. Ways you can help support our work • Set up a standing order to give us a regular donation, no matter how small, or donate one off amounts through our website at abctoread.org.uk • Visit localgiving.com for more ideas of how to support us and watch out for matched funding ‘alerts’ • Become a Facebook friend or follow us on Twitter • Most importantly, carry on volunteering or being a ‘friend’ to the charity!

16. Our Trustees from today • Lyn Clarke • Jenny Cooney • Paul Dieppe • Mike Edwards • Alison Hunt • Anne Murphy • Simon Smith • Steve Smith • Ron Stone We are currently looking for more trustees and would be interested in hearing from anyone interested in joining our board, particularly if they have IT, HR, marketing or school management skills and experience.