ARCh celebrates Volunteers' Week with Open Office Events to honour and inspire volunteer readers

The events were a heartfelt celebration of current volunteers and a warm welcome to prospective new ones, all united by a shared passion for supporting children’s reading.

With tea, cake, and lively conversation, the gatherings brought together ARCh staff, volunteers, and members of the public to recognise the incredible commitment of those who give their time each week to help primary school children build confidence, develop literacy skills, and discover a love of reading.

“Volunteers are the heart of ARCh,” said Emma Orton, Recruitment Officer at ARCh. “Volunteers’ Week is the perfect moment to celebrate their commitment and kindness. We were thrilled to see so many familiar faces and new ones too. These events gave us a chance to say thank you and to share the powerful impact our volunteers have in children’s lives.”

Visitors had the opportunity to learn more about ARCh’s mission, hear first-hand stories of success from current volunteers, and explore how the charity’s transformative training equips volunteers to become trusted reading mentors in local schools.

“I look forward to seeing the children and it gives me a lift to get out of my own adult concerns and stress at work for a short time each week” said Victoria, an ARCh volunteer who supports children in a school in North Oxford. ”It helps to keep things in perspective. It is reliably the best part of my week, and it might become yours too!”

ARCh’s trained volunteers work one-on-one with children in Oxfordshire primary schools, offering consistent support that can change the course of a child’s education. The charity is always looking for compassionate individuals who can spare just a few hours each week to help change a child’s future through reading. ARCh also works with businesses and organisations to offer an Employee Volunteering Scheme, enabling staff to go into schools for one hour during their working week to support children in their communities.

To learn more about becoming an ARCh volunteer or to support the charity in other ways, please visit www.archoxfordshire.org.uk or contact the team at [email protected].