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�鶹��Ժ staff have undertaken some volunteer work in local schools and communities as part of our pledge to support the National Year of Reading.

David Chatterjee – �鶹��Ժ Office

I regularly volunteer for the GoodGym in Chelmsford.  GoodGym is a charity where we run in groups to undertake a variety community missions. In August, four of our Goodgymers took part in our initiative . This involved running to various   and located in the area and donating books.

�鶹��Ժ Office Team & the PSA

As part of �鶹��Ժ’s pledge we are currently collecting children’s pre-loved books to donate to the   We share our office space with the , who have kindly agreed to take part in this initiative. Donations from �鶹��Ժ and PSA staff as well as visiting committee members will be taken to the nearest donation point (Pancras Square Library N1C 4AG) during July or August when we have finished collecting.

Sarah Fleming – �鶹��Ժ Office

I volunteer as a parent governor at Castle Newnham – an all through school in Bedford. I have two small children at the school. In this, my first year as a school governor, the school now offers regular “reading mornings” where on Fridays parents are invited to come in and read with the children for 15 minutes at the beginning of the day. At the end of each term, we put on a “reading café” with book quizzes, snacks and activities for the children and parents to enjoy while reading.

Kaya Taylor – �鶹��Ժ Office

As part of �鶹��Ժ’s pledge to support the National Year of Reading, I had the pleasure of volunteering at my daughter’s school during March as a Mystery Reader for her reception class.

The visit began with a fun surprise, as I was covered with a cloth and guided into the classroom while the children excitedly tried to guess who I was. The children then used clues such as my shoes, hands and bag to guess whether I was male or female, which added even more laughter and engagement to the activity. After plenty of enthusiastic suggestions, my daughter proudly revealed that I was her mum.

Once the big reveal was over, I introduced three books for the children to choose from, with The Princess and the Frog being the clear favourite. I read the story aloud, encouraging lots of interaction along the way, with the children asking questions and joining in throughout.

Although the session lasted only around 15 minutes, it was a truly warm, joyful and rewarding experience. Seeing the children so engaged with reading made it incredibly worthwhile, and it inspired me to volunteer again in the future.

Heidi Hollowbread – �鶹��Ժ Office

In National Storytelling Week (2nd to 8th February 2026). I volunteered at Moulsham Junior School in Chelmsford, Essex. I previously taught at this school between 2008 and 2015. I selected a variety of texts to share with the children across the Key Stage 2 age range and read each class a favourite chapter to draw them in to the tale.

These were all books that I had read to my own classes during my teaching career. It was fantastic to be able to share them with new audiences and discover that the stories selected had all stood the test of time and retained their appeal. The books I chose are listed below.

Year 3 – The Fib by George Layton

Year 4 – Emil & the Detectives by Erich Kästner

Year 5 – Ingo by Helen Dunmore

Year 6 – A Series of Unfortunate Events – A Bad Beginning by Lemony Snickett

In addition I signed up to become a . On World Book Day (5th March 2026), I set up a free book exchange on the front drive of my house. I was able to give away and swap books provided by the National Literacy Trust and donated by people in my street. My neighbour’s school-age children relished the chance to assist me before and after school.