We are fundraising with Cash for Kids to help more children across Berkshire who are struggling to learn to read. Many of the children we support are behind in reading when they start or move through primary school, often through no fault of their own.
This funding will enable us to recruit, train and support more volunteers so that we can work with more schools and reach more children who need regular, consistent reading support. Early help with reading makes a lasting difference, improving confidence, school engagement and long-term learning outcomes.
A child’s reading journey can be very fragile at the start. One boy we support arrived in Year 3 unable to read simple sentences. He would avoid books and quietly withdraw when asked to read aloud. With regular support from a trained volunteer, he slowly began to recognise words, then sentences, and eventually short stories. The moment he chose a book on his own and read it to the end marked a real shift in his confidence.
Partnerships such as Cash for Kids help make this kind of progress possible for many more children.