AZETS CELEBRATES FIVE YEAR MILESTONE OF PIONEERING LITERACY VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME IN BRADFORD

The UK top 10 accountancy firm is celebrating five years of harnessing technology to provide online literacy support to young readers in Bradford

Azets, the Top 10 UK Accountancy firm, is celebrating five years of volunteers from their Bradford office giving 1:1 online literacy support to help build a better future for emerging young readers. Chapter One harnesses technology to enable volunteers to give children vital reading support from their workplace through an online platform.

Volunteers are paired with primary school children aged 5-7 years old experiencing disadvantage, meeting them virtually for 30 minutes each week throughout the academic year. They read stories and play games together that build fluency, comprehension, phonics, and most importantly, foster reading confidence and enjoyment.

Victoria Wainwright, Office Managing Partner at Azets said:

“We are proud to have taken action to make a difference to the lives of young readers and offer flexible online volunteering opportunities to our team that help to build a better future for the next generation. At Azets, our purpose is to improve the lives of our colleagues, clients, and communities in a sustainable way, and our commitment to Chapter One really brings this meaningful purpose to life.”

Azets encourages supporting charities close to local towns and offices.

David Taylor, Year 1 teacher in Bradford whose pupils have been paired with Azets volunteers, added:

“I think the volunteers should know just how much of a difference they are making to these children’s lives. It’s not just about teaching them to read, it’s about their overall confidence. If they’re given that boost of an extra half an hour a week of someone reading with them, an adult’s time dedicated just to them, then it really does have the power to transform their lives.”

Azets volunteering efforts and financial support of Chapter One’s work helps improve the lives of children in Bradford. This school year, because of the support of companies like Azets, the programme has helped support 2,151 children across 239 classrooms in 75 schools in 10 socio-economically deprived regions of England and Scotland, helping them learn to love books and build the critical reading skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.