Volunteers' Week is our opportunity to celebrate the transformative impact volunteers make across the UK. Running from 2-8 June 2025, this nationwide event gives us all a moment to recognise the power of volunteering. At Chapter One, we're incredibly grateful for our online reading volunteers who dedicate their time each week to support children's reading journeys. Their consistent, compassionate presence is helping build reading confidence in children who might otherwise slip through the cracks.

How can you get involved as a valued Chapter One partner?

📝 Option 1: Post from your corporate social media accounts about your partnership with Chapter One

Don't forget to tag us! Please include our handles (on Instagram) or tag us (on LinkedIn and Facebook) in your posts to make it easier for us to share and amplify them. Please also make sure you are following us!

LinkedIn: chapteroneuk
Instagram: @chapterone_uk
Facebook: ukchapterone

Example LinkedIn post 1

[Insert your organisation name] proudly supports Chapter One’s, Online Reading Volunteers Programme which pairs corporate volunteers with 5-8 year-old children from communities facing disadvantage across the UK. The programme develops fundamental reading skills and inspires a love for reading from an early age, helping build confidence in children who might otherwise slip through the cracks. [Accompany with image or video] #VolunteersWeek #ChapterOne #ItAllStartsWithLiteracy

Example LinkedIn post 2

Check out our fantastic team members who are online reading volunteers for our charity partner Chapter One, which transforms children's futures with one-to-one reading support at the time when they need it the most. Members of our team ‘meet’ online with a child for 30 minutes a week, during the school day. They read stories and play word games that inspire a love for reading from an early age, helping build confidence in children who might otherwise slip through the cracks. [This could be accompanied by a collage or carousel of photographs and a link to chapterone.org]. #VolunteersWeek #ChapterOne #ItAllStartsWithLiteracy

📝 Option 2: Don’t forget to encourage your Chapter One volunteers to post on social media too!

We are providing all our individual volunteers with an adapted version of this Volunteers’ Week toolkit, but it would be great if you could also suggest that they share on social media why they’re proud to volunteer for Chapter One. If they are able to record short video testimonials or take selfies of themselves during a reading session then even better!

Example LinkedIn post 1

I love being an online reading volunteer with Chapter One! It’s a really fulfilling 30 minutes of my week and I don’t even need to leave my desk! Ask me anything about my experience and I would be happy to help! Chapterone.org #VolunteersWeek

Example LinkedIn post 2

Did you know that 38% of 11 year-olds in England from disadvantaged backgrounds leave primary school unable to read to the expected standard? Through Chapter One, a number of my colleagues and I are volunteering online for 30 minutes a week to help disadvantaged children improve their reading skills. It's fun and rewarding and so easy to fit into my working week. Ask me anything about my experience - I would be happy to help! chapterone.org #VolunteersWeek #ChapterOneVolunteer #EmployeeVolunteering

Example LinkedIn post 3

Research shows that having multiple 'reading influencers' in a child’s life has a marked impact on their love of reading, which in turn increases their wellbeing, educational prospects and life outcomes. So, if you've always wanted to be an 'influencer', now is your chance! By becoming a Chapter One UK online reading volunteer like me, and/or supporting your employees to do this, you will become a reading influencer yourself - and help children facing disadvantage across the UK! Ask me anything about my experience - I would be happy to help! chapterone.org #VolunteersWeek #ChapterOneVolunteer #EmployeeVolunteering

Some other key messages about Chapter One you can include in your communications:

• Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success. We are proud to partner with Chapter One to give 1:1 online literacy support to children at the time they need it most.

• Volunteering, as well as improving the lives of others, can play an important role in employee wellbeing. Employees love their online 30-minute weekly reading sessions with children that need literacy support through our partnership with Chapter One.

• Chapter One has identified a problem being faced in schools and the wider society where children facing disadvantage have lower literacy levels. Unfortunately, teachers have limited time and resources to be able to spend one to one time with children practising their reading and inspiring them to enjoy books and become confident readers. They match schools and children with corporate volunteers to solve this issue by reading online with a child each week.

• Chapter One focuses on areas of deprivation in the UK, working in schools which have a high number of children receiving free school meals.

• Chapter One encourages reading for pleasure. Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child's future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents' educational background.

• Many children selected for Chapter One don’t have anyone to read with at home or don’t have books to read for pleasure.

• The relationship developed between the child and the volunteer goes beyond reading and has a lasting impact.

• The reading levels of the child improve but there is also a wider impact on their confidence levels.

• Volunteers commit 30 minutes every week to reading with their child but it is flexible and can fit in with their schedule.

• Volunteering with Chapter One is a way for businesses to meet their social value/CSR objectives.

• Chapter One online reading volunteers are part of something innovative, the best kind of use of technology – as an enabler for meaningful human interaction.

Graphics and images

You can download some suggested accompanying images via this Dropbox, including the Chapter One and Volunteers’ Week logos. If you have any issues with accessing the assets, please contact Chapter One’s Social Media and Communications Officer, Isabel Davies isabel.davies@chapterone.org.

Questions? Ideas? We’d love to hear from you so please don’t hesitate to be in touch!

This toolkit is intended to assist you in putting together some quick and easy communications about your partnership with Chapter One this Volunteers’ Week. However, we do appreciate that our corporate partners have their own branding requirements and messaging to consider and we are happy to work with you to create materials that show how your organisation is supporting Chapter One.

Anna Ansted, Head of Corporate Partnerships
anna.ansted@chapterone.org

Rebecca Hewitt, Marketing & Communications Manager
rebecca.hewitt@chapterone.org

Isabel Davies, Social Media & Communications Officer
isabel.davies@chapterone.org