Keighley Town Council has partnered with literacy charity Chapter One, providing funding for up to 10 volunteers to read weekly with Keighley children aged 5-8 who are struggling with reading. Through Chapter One's Online Reading Volunteers Programme, the volunteers will deliver 30-minute online sessions with pupils in Keighley primary schools throughout this academic year, building confidence and sparking a love for books.

This year, Chapter One is partnering with Holycroft Primary School, Merlin Top Primary School and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Keighley, supporting children in six classrooms. The need is significant: the three schools' average free school meal eligibility is 41.4%, and all of them are located in neighbourhoods ranked among the 20% most deprived in England. Holycroft Primary School has 59.1% of pupils with English as an Additional Language.

Keighley Town Council is looking for additional volunteers from local businesses to help expand the programme. To get involved, please contact the council’s Community Engagement Worker, Shazia Kausar at shazia.kausar@keighley.gov.uk.

Cllr Abdul Shohid, Chair of the Events & Community Development Committee at Keighley Town Council, said: “Supporting children in Keighley to succeed is important to the Council. By funding this programme, we’re providing pupils with one-to-one support that can make a real difference to their learning and future opportunities. We’re proud to invest in an initiative that benefits our schools, young people and the wider community.”

Emma Bell, CEO at Chapter One, commented: "By committing a team of volunteers, Keighley Town Council is demonstrating the powerful role local government can play in transforming literacy on their doorstep. For many of the children we support, this will be the first time an adult outside their school or family has been able to focus time on them in this way. That supportive one-to-one relationship makes all the difference.”

How can companies get involved in Chapter One?

Chapter One’s virtual, time-efficient, flexible model for volunteering will enhance your company’s employee value proposition, whilst fulfilling CSR or social value commitments around education, social mobility and inclusion. Employees can:

- volunteer online directly from their desks with no travel

- make a direct impact on the lives of children from disadvantaged communities

- support local communities across the UK

- improve their own well-being by helping others

- reconnect with your company’s social purpose

If you’re interested in joining us, we’d love to hear from you! You’ll find out who we currently work with on our partners’ page. You can contact us here or email sarah.taylor@chapterone.org.