National reading charity Beanstalk is stepping up its search for volunteers

As the new academic year approaches, national reading charity Beanstalk is stepping up its search for volunteers to help reach more children than ever before with its potentially life-changing reading support programmes.

More than 1,000 volunteers are needed nationwide to join Beanstalk’s network of trained reading helpers to help deliver vital one-to-one support to children aged 3-13 who are at risk of falling behind at school without intervention.

According to the latest statistics, 25% of primary school children across England left primary school not meeting the expected levels in reading last year (2017-18). This can have a devastating effect on those children’s futures leading to all sorts of problems in secondary education and beyond.

Beanstalk works to close the gap between struggling readers and their peers by providing trained volunteers who support and encourage children on a one-to-one basis in local early years and primary school settings. The increasing number of schools requesting Beanstalk volunteers and the addition of a new early years programme aimed at tackling the word gap among children aged three-five, means more volunteers are urgently needed in readiness for delivering Beanstalk’s programmes this September.