ABC to read
Help children become confident readers - Volunteer
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ABC to Read
ABC to read is an award-winning charity supporting children who are struggling with reading. Our dedicated team of staff and 185 community volunteers, we provide support to 500 children each year.
What Difference Will You Make?
Since 2004, we have dedicated ourselves to the vision that every child deserves to be a reader, equipped with the essential life skills and self-belief to make positive choices and thrive in their wider community, through childhood and into adulthood. Our impact goes far deeper than simply improving reading ability. By recruiting, training, and supporting high-quality volunteer mentors to deliver tailored, one-to-one sessions, we unlock a child’s true potential. We support over 500 children each year, tackling the broader barriers to learning - building vital self-esteem, restoring stability, and nurturing a genuine enjoyment of stories and games. The results speak for themselves: our latest impact evaluations show that 100% of the children supported improved their reading skills, while 98% reached their required reading levels, alongside remarkable transformations in classroom confidence and overall well-being. Behind these life-changing achievements is a shared passion and a deeply collaborative team culture. Our success is built upon the great team working and seamless partnership shared between our small but excellent staff team, our active Board of Trustees, and our dedicated network of 185 community volunteers.
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What Are We Looking For?
We are looking for someone who possesses:
- Commitment: A profound passion for the Charity’s mission and a dedicated drive to achieve its strategic objectives.
- Leadership: Proven experience operating at a strategic leadership level, preferably within a charitable or corporate environment.
- Governance: A solid understanding of the legal duties, responsibilities, and liabilities of a Trustee, with experience serving on a Board.
- Facilitation: Demonstrated expertise in chairing effective and inclusive high-level meetings, ensuring productive dialogue and decisive outcomes.
- Ambassadorship: Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to act as a credible figurehead for the organisation.
- Networking: Strong networking capabilities and a track record of successful partnership working with external stakeholders.
- Capacity: The ability to commit the necessary time to fulfil the role effectively (approximately 4-6 hours per month).
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What Will You Be Doing?
Our current Chair of Trustees will step down in June 2027 and we are looking for a new Chair of Trustees to help lead the charity into its next chapter. Our board consists of 7 trustees including Safeguarding Lead, Treasurer, and Trainer.
This is an opportunity for an experienced leader to:
- Provide strategic leadership to our Board
- Work closely with and support our CEO
- Ensure strong governance and financial oversight
- Represent ABC to read with key stakeholders and partners
- Help us grow our reach and support even more children across Berkshire
You don't need to have a background in education. We are looking for someone with strong leadership, governance, communication, and relationship-building skills, and above all a genuine commitment to improving children's lives.
This is a voluntary role, requiring approximately 4–6 hours per month. The initial term is three years, with the possibility of annual re-election, up to a maximum of five consecutive years.
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