Meet our new Community Ambassadors

We’re excited to announce our Community Ambassadors – a new group of passionate volunteers from across the UK who are helping to grow and strengthen our community.

At Bookmark, we know that community is powerful. Our Ambassadors are experienced Bookmark volunteers and dedicated champions of our vision: We want every child to read.

What our Community Ambassadors do:

Inspire others to join the mission and support children’s reading
Answer questions and offer guidance to fellow volunteers
Host local events and meetups to connect people in their region
Share their expertise and experiences to help volunteers succeed
Spread the word about the importance of reading

By bringing people together, they help ensure that every child has the reading support they need to succeed.

If you’d like to make a difference in your community and join our growing network of volunteers, sign up to volunteer with us today.

Meet our Community Ambassadors!

Gail Norcliffe

I’ve been volunteering with Bookmark since 2021 and I love it. My main focus is always to try to make the sessions fun and increase the reader’s confidence. It’s absolutely wonderful when you know a child has truly enjoyed a book and watch them shine when they realise they’re reading some more difficult words and sentences.

Outside Bookmark, I enjoy daily walks on Hampstead Heath with my ageing Labrador. As with many other volunteers, I’m a member of a very longstanding book club and I write for a local community newspaper. I love ballroom and Latin dancing and attend classes every week, but I don’t think I’ll be appearing on Strictly for a while yet!

Kiran Grigg

I discovered Bookmark volunteering about six months after I retired and it suits me perfectly. It enables me to use my skills, resources and experience, makes me happy and gives my week some structure whilst being flexible enough to allow me to travel when I want to.

I trained as a Primary Teacher in my 40’s and spent 15 happy years working in primary education, first as a teacher in Year 3 and, for the last 8 years of my career, in Reception. Outside of Bookmark, I love reading (I belong to two Book Clubs), watching football, walking, cooking, crosswords and Scrabble, gardening, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Sally Hoodless

I’m Sally, Community Ambassador for the South West, and I have been volunteering with Bookmark for around two years. I previously worked in my family’s recruitment business, and I saw how a limited reading ability can be a barrier to applicants’ confidence and employment opportunities.

I was reluctant to start reading as a child but, once I set off, I found so much enjoyment and I felt it would be great to volunteer to try to help children find their own joy in reading. When not volunteering with Bookmark I volunteer with a youth group, run a book club and sing in the Rock Choir.

Tricia Hooson

I was inspired to join Bookmark by my niece because she knew that I loved books and had recently retired as an optometrist. My first ambition was to be a teacher, but circumstances led me to a different career in health care.

Apart from volunteering, I still continue to run our business behind the scenes, mostly, but also look after my bed-bound mum at home. In my spare time I love to knit and sew. I particularly like quilting. I also love word games and sudoku. I play Scrabble Go, online. I think I am addicted!

Nicola Nevitt

I started volunteering for Bookmark early 2022. When I left work as a Special Needs Teaching Assistant in Mainstream School, volunteering for Bookmark has enabled me to continue doing the part of my work, I used to enjoy the most.

I love living in Wales with my husband and we have two grown up boys, three grandchildren (two of which are learning to read) and a grand-dog!

To me, children learning to read is a very important life skill and can really open up their imagination. Listening to all my readers is joyful and we have had great discussions, not just about the books they are reading!

Anne Braithwaite

I’m a retired family lawyer/mediator so have no experience of reading with children except many years ago reading to & with my son. I have however been a passionate reader since I was a child. I was a very regular visitor to the Armley children’s library. I now think I help keep Waterstone’s in business.

In my profession I sometimes had to meet with & talk to children whose parents were separated. I am horrified at the number of children who can’t read adequately when they leave primary school so it matters to me to try to help children with their reading. I think the thing that pleases me most is when I realise how important one adult reading and playing with and talking to a child has been to him or her.

Jane Westerman

I live in Durham City in the North East of England. I’ve been volunteering with Bookmark for four years.

As a former primary school teacher, I know how important becoming a confident reader is for unlocking future learning and just giving a feeling of self-worth and well-being.

1:1 attention can make all the difference but is sadly not possible within the demands of a normal classroom setting. Investing time to listen and enjoy books together makes a child feel valued as they practice and develop their skills.

Now retired, I enjoy playing tennis, walking, reading and learning Italian.

Amit Sen

As I was approaching retirement, I felt that I should do something for others now that I would likely have the time and wherewithal to do so. I began volunteering with Bookmark in February 2023. So, it’s been around two and half years.

I have been married for 35 years and I have an adult son. I like to read non-fiction, mostly politics, biographies and history which leaves scope for some less obvious subjects such as Renaissance painting and films. My interest in sports generally has waned but my son and I do follow Liverpool Football Club.

Do something amazing and change a child’s story through the joy of reading.

Apply now