26th May 2015

National children’s literacy charity Beanstalk is delighted to announce the appointment of Ginny Lunn as its new CEO, effective 1^st June.

Ginny replaces Sue Porto, who left the charity on April 30^th to become CEO of St. John’s Hospital in Bath.

Jamie Pike, Beanstalk Chair of Trustees, said:

“Ginny has a wealth of experience gained across a range of organisations, which the Board is fully confident will allow her to guide Beanstalk on its journey towards helping 18,000 children a year by 2018.”

Ginny’s career started as a primary school teacher in Leeds, where she witnessed first-hand the importance of strong literacy skills in enabling young children to reach their true potential. Following this, she spent seven years developing Youthreach, a programme across the Republic of Ireland providing education, training and work experience programmes for early school leavers. On returning to the UK she joined The Prince's Trust where, after several years developing new programmes to help address youth unemployment, she became their Director of Strategy & Policy. Before joining Beanstalk, Ginny was UK Programmes Director at Save the Children. In this role she had responsibility for developing Save the Children's partnership with Beanstalk. Ginny joined Beanstalk as Director of Programme Development, Partnerships and Policy in early 2015.

Beanstalk is a national literacy charity that recruits, vets, trains and supports volunteers to work in primary schools with children who have fallen behind with their reading. Beanstalk reading helpers work with children on a one-to-one basis, giving them consistent support to improve their reading levels, increase overall confidence and help them gain the vital literacy skills they need to reach their true potential in life.  

(ENDS)

1. Beanstalk is a national literacy charity that recruits, vets, trains and supports volunteers to work in primary schools with children who have fallen behind with their reading. Its vision is a nation of confident children who can read and grow up to lead successful lives. To find out how to volunteer, visit www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk or call 020 7729 4087.

2. Each Beanstalk reading helper works with three children and sees each child for two 30 minute sessions a week, during term-time, for a whole year. Together, they read, play and talk. With Beanstalk's support the child's approach to learning and enjoying reading is often transformed.

3. Beanstalk works in areas of deprivation across England through 17 Area Offices in the North, Midlands, Greater London and Kent.

4. Beanstalk was founded in 1973 as Volunteer Reading Help by Susan Belgrave MBE, Beanstalk’s President. 

5. For more information or quotes, or to set up an interview with Ginny Lunn, please contact Tom Rippon at [email protected] or 020 7729 4087