They broker relationships between businesses and schools and aim to develop sustainable partnerships that help tackle inequality of opportunity for young people in the West of England and support businesses meet their social value objectives. Through this program, focusing on developing children’s reading skills, they provide a structured volunteering opportunity for business employees that raise aspiration, attainment and achievement in young people focusing on disadvantaged areas.
How does it work?
- They listen to your requirements and find out about your business model.
- They recommend volunteering opportunities they think will suit your business best.
- They take care of all the logistics.
- They broker and manage your relationships from start to finish.
- They measure the impact of your volunteering and report it back to you.
Reading Partners:
Weekly 1:1 reading support for school aged pupils.
Business volunteers are matched with a local school and visit weekly for 30 minutes at a time delivering 1:1 reading support for pupils. Volunteers are each matched with a child who needs additional support with reading and support this child for up to an academic year while they try to master reading helping to give them the best chance to make the most of their education and go on to succeed in life. Volunteers develop meaningful partnerships with the child they are matched with, and this enhances the support provided and forms a mentoring relationship.
Schools have reported that pupils’ confidence grows following sessions with a business volunteer, their comprehension and ability to master literacy improves at a greater speed than it would without this additional support.
All volunteers receive training on how best to support children’s reading as well as essential safeguarding and are also required to have enhanced DBS check which will all be provided by Ablaze.
Service Fee:
They do charge a Service fee: £500 for small businesses, £1000 for medium businesses and up to £2000 for large businesses for brokering and managing each of our programs, which covers staff training, DBS checks and the provision of volunteer handbooks for all participants as well as an end of program evaluation report.
Ablaze Will:
- Partner you with a local school.
- Broker and manage the relationships from start to finish.
- Support with volunteer recruitment and arrange enhanced DBS checks.
- Deliver volunteer training which includes safeguarding and child protection training.
- Hold regular review meetings with the business & school.
- Evaluate your impact every year and report back to you.
If you are interested in volunteering as part of our Reading Partners programme please contact Gilly Samuddin on gilly.samuddin@ablazebristol.org to find out more!