This Volunteers’ Week, we’re celebrating three volunteers from our Gold Partner, Kennedys: Lorna Culpin, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager, Sayeeda Nur, Trainee Solicitor, and Geri Taylor, Senior Facilities Manager. Since September, 50 Kennedys volunteers have provided over 300 hours of one-to-one reading support to Chapter One children - that’s over 1,200 stories shared between volunteers and children! We spoke to Lorna, Sayeeda and Geri to find out more about their experience of volunteering with Chapter One.

Why did you sign up to volunteer?

Lorna: I was a primary school teacher for two years at the start of my career and reading to the children is what I have always missed most from the classroom.

Sayeeda: Reading is such an imperative lifelong skill to have which should be nurtured from a young age. I found a passion for reading as a child and it has been wonderful sharing this with my pupil during our sessions.

Geri: I signed up because I wanted to support something that could make a genuine difference to a young person’s confidence and development. Reading is such an important life skill, and the opportunity to help a student build confidence in a relaxed and encouraging environment really appealed to me. This is now my second year volunteering with Chapter One, and it has been genuinely rewarding to see the impact the programme can have on a student’s confidence and enjoyment of reading.

What have you personally gained from volunteering - whether professionally or otherwise?

Lorna: I have gained a profound sense of enjoyment and reconnection with elements I loved teaching. It has also reminded me of the importance of the art of communication, for example relating to my 7-year-old pupil over their spelling struggles by trying to explain Grammarly [a grammar and spelling app] to them.

Sayeeda: I genuinely look forward to my Chapter One sessions. It is a wonderful break from work for myself and my student where we can both switch off to read and play games.

Geri: Personally, it has been incredibly rewarding. Watching a student grow in confidence, become more comfortable reading aloud, and celebrate their own progress is genuinely lovely to see. Professionally, it has also reinforced the importance of patience, encouragement, communication and consistency – all skills that translate into everyday working life too.

How do you fit Chapter One sessions into your working week?

Lorna: I schedule it in advance all year so it is always there. I have it on a day I know I tend to be more free and have only moved it once due to unavoidable clashes.

Sayeeda: I usually like to have my sessions on Fridays when the working week is slightly quieter. This means I can show up for sessions consistently and don’t have to cancel often.

Geri: Kennedys has been incredibly supportive of volunteering initiatives, which makes it much easier to incorporate the sessions into the week. I treat the sessions as an important commitment in my diary and something I genuinely look forward to each week.

Thinking back to your early reading sessions, how was your pupil getting on with reading?

Lorna: They really struggled. I knew English wasn’t their first language. My pupil was quite shy and struggled reading beyond sounding out basic words.

Sayeeda: My pupil was reading well but not as confident in her ability. Her pace was slower and she needed more help with difficult words.

Geri: My pupil was quite hesitant and lacked confidence at times, particularly when they came across unfamiliar words. It was clear they needed reassurance and encouragement as much as support with reading itself.

What, if anything, has been the most noticeable change in their reading ability since then?

Lorna: The difference is huge! Their reading has progressed so much and they can now read less tricky words without sounding them out.

Sayeeda: My pupil is more comfortable in our sessions now. She leads the session by choosing the books she wants to read and actively engages with the content. She is reading books at a significantly faster rate and can overcome harder words on her own by sounding out the letters.

Geri: The biggest change has been their confidence and willingness to keep trying. They are much more comfortable reading aloud now and more willing to work through words independently rather than immediately giving up.

Have you also noticed any changes to their confidence, motivation or enjoyment of reading?

Lorna: They are so confident! In the beginning, they didn’t talk much and let me lead the sessions. Now they are really confident and will tell me about their day or week, talk about the book we are reading and give their thoughts without prompting.

Sayeeda: My student regularly asks to read harder books now indicating a massive increase in her confidence. I am also impressed at her ability to provide her own thoughts and opinion on the stories we read together.

Geri: Definitely, you can really see the difference in how engaged and positive they are during sessions now. There is much more excitement and pride when they complete a book or move up a reading level, which is lovely to see.

What's been your favourite session or breakthrough moment?

Lorna: There have been so many! Discovering that we both love having jacket potato for lunch - and that we had both had one that day! We differ on favourite toppings: theirs is beans and mine is tuna.

Sayeeda: A recent breakthrough moment for us was playing noughts and crosses at the end of our reading sessions. My pupil is fantastic at reading out the words whilst strategising against me at the same time. Unsurprisingly, I am beaten quite regularly at noughts and crosses!

Geri: One of the highlights for me last year was having the opportunity to meet my pupil in person at the end of the programme. After spending time reading together each week, it was lovely to finally meet face-to-face and see how much their confidence had grown, and it reminded me how impactful small moments of encouragement can be.

What surprised you most about volunteering with Chapter One?

Lorna: How much I missed reading to children and how much fun it is. Also how much children remember things you say. If you mention you like snowmen in a book one week they will remember 4 weeks later.

Sayeeda: I was initially wary about committing to Chapter One during the third and fourth seat of my training contract, with qualification on the horizon. However, it has surprised me how easy it is to fit the 30 minute sessions into the week. There are often several slots available during the week so changes can be made easily to the schedule if needed.

Geri: I think what surprised me most was how rewarding it is for the volunteer as well. You go in hoping to support someone else, but you also come away from each session feeling positive and uplifted yourself.

How has the support from Chapter One been throughout?

Lorna: Excellent. I have been kept really up to date and the IT support has been great for the few occasions I need it.

Sayeeda: Support from Chapter One has been incredibly responsive and clear during and outside of the reading sessions. This makes it easier to commit to the reading sessions and more enjoyable, knowing that any query will be answered swiftly by the team.

Geri: The support has been excellent throughout. Everything is very well organised, communication is clear, and there is always guidance available if needed, which makes the programme easy to be part of.

Chapter One is a lead partner for the National Year of Reading 2026 - what would you say to someone thinking about signing up this year?

Lorna: Chapter One is the highlight of my week. No matter how stressed or busy I am, when I sit down to do Chapter One, that all melts away through a child reading. All of my colleagues and friends know about it as I am always talking about it and it has been a privilege to be part of it.

Sayeeda: I would recommend anyone to sign up. It is fantastic, and you won’t realise how much you gain from the sessions!

Geri: I would absolutely encourage people to get involved. The time commitment is manageable, the support is excellent, and it is a genuinely rewarding experience. Even small amounts of encouragement and consistency can make a real difference to a child’s confidence and enjoyment of reading.