11^th June 2015

Children’s literacy charity Beanstalk announced today that it is extending its work in St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Battersea thanks to support from Amazon UK.

St Mary’s is well-known as the flagship school in the London Evening Standard’s award-winning ‘Get London Reading’ campaign.

For the last three years Beanstalk has been providing one-to-one literacy support to children at St Mary’s who need additional help with their reading. Twenty-five Beanstalk reading helpers attend the school twice a week, working with three children each to help them gain confidence and improve their reading.

Beanstalk is continuing to deliver their service at the same level for the year ahead thanks to a donation by Amazon UK to help improve children’s literacy in the capital. Amazon’s support will also help Beanstalk to further expand its work across England.

Ginny Lunn, Beanstalk’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to be able to continue our work in St Mary’s thanks to Amazon’s support. 75 more children will now be able to receive additional one-to-one support from a Beanstalk reading helper this year. We urgently need more people from across London to come forward as Beanstalk reading helpers to join our growing network and help the children who need us most.”

Darren Hardy, Manager of Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon UK commented: “We are passionate about reading and helping young people up and down the country to develop the reading skills they need to get the most out of life.  Beanstalk has done so much to support this important cause, and we look forward to helping them continue this work here in London and beyond.”  

 Notes to editors

1. Beanstalk is a national literacy charity that recruits, trains and supports volunteers to work in primary schools with children who have fallen behind with their reading.
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. To find out how to become a Beanstalk reading helper, visit www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk or call 020 7729 4087.
6. For further information or quotes, please contact Steve Hawe at [email protected] or 07837 701520