Honouring Volunteers Week and the power of stories with Her Majesty the Queen
Last week, we were delighted to attend the Big Lunch: Sharing Stories event at The British Library in celebration of Volunteers’ Week – and the incredible impact reading volunteers have across the country every single day.
Organised by The Eden Project and The National Year of Reading, the event brought together corporate, community and youth volunteers, each committed to promoting stories and literacy. They were joined by Paddington and Her Majesty The Queen.
Our CEO Frankie Smith and our Chair of Trustees Rachel Brodie were joined by two of our amazing Community Ambassadors, Sally and Amit. We were incredibly proud to have them represent our volunteers at the event and were thrilled to be able to celebrate their commitment and dedication.
A special afternoon sharing stories
Over the course of the lunch, guests were encouraged to share stories and their experiences before being treated to a performance of poems by the UK Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage CBE, and London’s Young Poet Laureates for 2026/27, Maya and Latifah.
National Year of Reading Ambassadors Jack Edwards and Spud Man also shared their love of stories and highlighted how they can be used to bring people together.
Frankie, Rachel, Sally and Amit also got to meet Paddington himself! The excitement in the room over the beloved character was a brilliant reminder of how vital fictional characters are in bringing communities together.
Reflections from our volunteers
‘Thanks to Bookmark I had a lovely time at the Big Event hosted by the British Library. Meeting some of my wonderful colleagues was in itself pretty exciting but the icing on the cake was the attendance of HRH Queen Camilla. It was a day I shall remember for a long time.”
“I was honoured to be asked to join both the Bookmark CEO and Chair at the Big Lunch and represent the wonderful volunteer community of Bookmark Reading, along with Amit. It was a lovely day, meeting fellow volunteers and other inspirational people in literacy, before receiving a visit from the Queen and enjoying an afternoon tea style lunch.”
A reflection from Frankie Smith, CEO
“It was a fantastic day to be able to celebrate not only all of Bookmark’s volunteers, but volunteers across the country who dedicate their time to improving the lives of children through reading. A big thank you to Amit and Sally, who were able to represent our entire volunteer community, for their support and dedication”
The power of reading volunteers
The Big Lunch acted as a reminder of the power of volunteering in helping children discover the collective joy that reading can bring.
At Bookmark, we see daily how our One-to-one Reading Programme supports children to find their own love of reading. Our volunteers, who share stories with children for an hour a week, open up a world of stories for their young readers. Over the course of our programme, children improve their reading skills, confidence and enjoyment – all thanks to the time, patience and encouragement our volunteers provide.
We’re very grateful to have been included in this event – and equally grateful to our volunteers who make our work possible.
Become a reading volunteer and see what impact you can have.
Make your story count
Become a reading volunteer with as little as an hour a week and change a child’s story – and your own.
