Schoolreaders and Tritax Big Box renew charitable partnership

Tritax Big Box, the largest listed investor in high-quality UK logistics warehouse assets, has renewed its charity partnership with national children’s literacy charity, Schoolreaders. The charity, founded in 2013, matches volunteers with local primary schools to provide free, one-to-one reading support sessions, with a focus on reaching the most disadvantaged children.

Tritax Big Box was Schoolreaders’ first corporate partner. Since 2019, its donations have enabled more than 1,000 school children to receive weekly one-to-one reading support sessions, delivered by over 100 volunteers. The renewed and expanded three-year partnership from 2023 will support a further 1,800 children, with sessions delivered by around 180 volunteers. The funding will reach pupils across the nation, in regions where Big Box’s assets are based.

Alan Somerville, ESG Director at Tritax Big Box, commented: “Children who enter secondary school as confident readers are empowered to thrive. Conversely, poor literacy can have lifelong – even cross-generational – consequences. We’re delighted to support Schoolreaders and its network of inspirational volunteers in enhancing young people’s lives and academic prospects – bringing long-term benefits to communities across the UK.

“From the outset, it was important that our investment reached the children who need it most in counties where we acquire and develop assets. Schoolreaders understood that and took up our challenge. As we have grown, so has their impact in the regions where we are based.”

In 2022, 1 in 4 children in England left primary school unable to read to the expected standard age 11*. Poor literacy is linked to many longer-term issues in society such as poverty, crime, unemployment, mental and physical ill-health, and homelessness. It is estimated that 16.4% of adults in England (7.1 million people) have very poor literacy skills** struggling with everyday tasks like reading a medicine label, interpreting simple written instructions, or filling out a job application form. In addition, nearly two-thirds (62%) of people entering prisons have the literacy skills expected of an 11-year-old***.

Schoolreaders’ founder Jane Whitbread adds: “As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, Schoolreaders’ work has never been more vital. Weekly time with our volunteers makes a proven difference to a child’s reading ability, fluency, comprehension and, just as important, their love of reading and social skills. It connects people and helps build community.

“We know from the volunteers themselves that the benefits of the programme also extend to them. They gain so much from knowing they’ve made a difference to a child’s day and, even better, their future. Everyone wins with the simple Schoolreaders model which is also highly scalable and cost-effective. Our long-standing partnership with Tritax Big Box has been instrumental in reaching many more children with this vital reading support.”

Currently, around 16,250 children are receiving in-person support sessions every week from a Schoolreaders volunteer, and the charity has ambitious growth planned into 2024, 2025 and beyond. Schoolreaders is solely financed by fundraised income. Donations help fund the charity’s operations, including the recruitment and interviewing of all volunteers, engagement with primary schools, matching volunteers to the best school, ongoing volunteer and school support, and ensuring appropriate safeguarding and DBS processes are in place.

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