Bookmark, a charity aimed at helping primary school children from disadvantaged backgrounds with reading, is asking Birmingham students to volunteer with them.

Bookmark has raised concerns over the fact that approximately one in four children in the UK leave primary school unable to read well. These children are more likely to experience poverty and unemployment. The charity has stated that this attainment gap has only worsened in recent years because of the pandemic. To help with this, Bookmark encourages students to volunteer and read with children. 

They’re looking for volunteers to dedicate just 1 hour per week, for a minimum of 6 weeks. With over 300 children waiting for volunteers to support them with their reading, the charity has stated that this is a crucial moment for students to get involved. A link to the website can be found at the bottom of this article.

Furthermore, volunteering with the charity is mutually beneficial, especially for students, as the programme can fit around a student’s schedule and provide them with experience in teaching and working with children. 

Redbrick spoke to the Operational Support Executive for Bookmark, Anna Pickles, who talked about volunteering with the charity and about what it has done.

Redbrick: I was wondering if I could talk about your experience working with the charity? And maybe offer anything you’d like to say to students here who are thinking of joining?

Anna: ‘Bookmark has been a lovely charity to work with, and it’s inspiring to be around people who are really passionate and dedicated to children’s literacy. The volunteering side is also super rewarding. I’m really enjoying getting to know my reader, and it’s so great when you find a book that they really engage with and enjoy.’

‘You could be the key to giving them a love of reading so that it stops being a chore for them, which could have a huge effect on their lives. For anyone thinking of volunteering, I say do it! For students in particular, the half-hour sessions are easy to fit around your schedule, and it’s great experience in tutoring and working with children.’

R: How long has the charity been around for? Does it mainly operate in Birmingham/The West Midlands?

Anna: ‘Bookmark has been around since 2018. It began in London, actually, working with local schools and volunteers to provide face-to-face reading sessions for children that needed extra support. When the pandemic began, Bookmark started piloting online programmes that meant that not only could the sessions still go on, but schools and volunteers from anywhere in the country could be involved. There are still face-to-face sessions in London, but most sessions run online and it works really well!’

R: You talk about the effect the pandemic had on primary school children’s accessibility to education, has this been something that has made the mission of the charity more important?

‘Absolutely. The pandemic worsened both the average child’s reading ability and the attainment gap between more privileged and more disadvantaged children. According to the National Literacy Trust, the percentage of pupils meeting the expected literacy standard at the end of primary school fell from 76% to 68%, and children from more disadvantaged backgrounds fell twice as far behind as the average child.’

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