Volunteers' Week: Meet the champions raising literacy levels across Doncaster

Literacy Champions have distributed over 8,000 books to families throughout Doncaster since April 2022. They are trusted voices within their communities and volunteer to help raise literacy levels across the city.

Phil Sheppard, Project Manager for Doncaster Stories, said: “Our local volunteers are a central part of our work as a charity to transform literacy levels in Doncaster.

"We know that having strong literacy skills can help children do well at school, open up job opportunities, improve their physical and mental wellbeing, and even increase life expectancy.”

Three of Doncaster Stories’ Literacy Champions have shared their experiences and motivations as a Literacy Champion.

Brenda Clarke

After the sudden and unexpected passing of her son, Brenda felt that her world was falling apart.

She left her job, and despite love and support from her other children and family members, she felt shut off from the rest of the world.

Brenda volunteered as a Literacy Champion to keep herself busy.

“The team at Doncaster Stories put me in touch with Balby Primary School and I was trained up to become a volunteer reader with children who need a little extra support.

“It’s the highlight of my week, the children want to share the important things happening in their lives now, whether it’s a new pair of shoes they’ve got, or if they’re going to their grandparents’ for a sleepover.

"I feel like I’m a granny to a whole classroom!”

Heather Coulthard

Heather Coultard is a forest school practitioner, Beaver leader, project lead at Doncaster Children’s University, a sleep practitioner, mental health first aider, mum of two, and a Literacy Champion.

She is passionate about giving every child in Doncaster the best start in life.

“I was the first volunteer Literacy Champion in Doncaster when the project began in 2020, and I got to work making my own little library.

"It’s filled with a mix of children’s and adult’s books, and now lives in Edenthorpe Community Garden, so everyone can come along to choose and read a book, whenever they like.”

Jade Pinter

Jade is an electrical and electronic engineer and tutor at Doncaster College, and after finding a book hidden by Doncaster Stories in a local park with her daughter, she knew that she could put her skills and contacts at the college to good use and help students and other children across Doncaster to discover their own love of books.

“My proudest project as a Literacy Champion is my big ‘Green Crayon’ bookshelf. I worked with the construction course team to build it, and we hosted a college-wide book drive to fill up its shelves.

The design is inspired by Sophie’s favourite book – The Day the Crayons Quit. I have big dreams of creating crayon bookshelves in all of the different colours!”