A royal celebration of volunteering and literacy | Bookmark
We were absolutely delighted to be invited to Clarence House yesterday by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) to celebrate the launch of their inspiring new volunteering platform, GoVo.org. This brilliant hub will make it easier for people across the UK to find flexible and meaningful volunteering opportunities, that they can do during lunch or before work.
The event brought together a wonderful mix of charities and volunteers, each dedicated to supporting communities in unique ways. For us, it was a proud moment to celebrate the incredible contribution of our reading volunteers, who help children gain confidence and discover the joy of reading.
A special day at Clarence House
We were incredibly proud to have two of our wonderful volunteers, Gail and Judy, representing us on the day. Their dedication to supporting children’s reading shone through as they discussed the importance of volunteering and one-to-one reading support for primary schools with Her Majesty The Queen herself.
Adding an extra touch of fun (and flavour!) to the occasion was Spud Man, serving up delicious jacket potatoes to thank volunteers for the amazing work they do every single day.
Bookmark volunteers’ reflections
Judy
‘We had a fabulous morning, thank you so much for choosing us. It was so nice to meet the Queen – a lovely lady and genuinely interested in the charity.”
Gail
‘Judy and I couldn’t have been more proud to be introduced to the Queen, and utterly delighted that she knew all about Bookmark and described the work of all Bookmark volunteers as simply wonderful.
It was lovely to be able to talk about our own experiences of the many benefits of volunteering and how much we enjoy working with our readers to help them discover the joy of reading.
It was most definitely a morning that I’ll always remember.”
Celebrating the power of volunteering
The day was a wonderful reminder of the impact volunteers make every single day – from classrooms to community hubs to royal celebrations.
At Bookmark, we see first-hand how volunteer-led reading programmes for schools transform children’s lives. Our one-to-one reading support for primary schools helps pupils build literacy skills, confidence and a lifelong love of stories.
We’re so grateful to the Royal Voluntary Service for including us in such a special event – and to all volunteers everywhere who make it possible for children to discover the joy and power of reading.
Join our community of literacy volunteers and help change a child’s life through reading.
Change a child’s life – become a reading volunteer today!
Inspire, empower and help them unlock their full potential.
