Coram Beanstalk is delighted to have received £1000 from a crowdfunder set up to restore Spellow Library Hub, following damage caused earlier this year. 

The library received so much support from across the country that some of the extra funds have been donated to children's reading charities to help create local readers!

Mr Liam Ault, a primary school librarian in Liverpool set up the crowdfunder in aid of renovating Spellow library hub, however there were some funds left over and Coram Beanstalk received a donation of £1000. This money will allow us to place more reading helpers in local primary schools and create more local readers – who in turn, we hope, will be inspired to use the library themselves when it reopens.

Liam Ault who set up the crowdfunder told us:

"Due to unprecedented support for Spellow library they are no longer accepting donations so I decided to donate the extra money to local reading charities. I want the money to foster a joy of reading for pleasure as well as provide opportunities to disadvantaged children in Liverpool."

Amy Lewis, Head of Coram Beanstalk:

We are delighted to have received this generous donation to allow us to reach more children in Liverpool. Becoming a volunteer with Coram Beanstalk is great way to give your time to children who may not have reading advocates at home. We look after all the necessary training and paperwork to ensure you're free to enjoy time having fun by sharing books with children. So please get in touch today if you think you can help.

Coram Beanstalk has just one reading helper working in a local school at the moment but we would love to use this donation to reach more children.

Headteacher of St Francis de Sales, Lisa Melia expresses why our volunteers are so necessary:

Almost every child who joins our Nursery/Reception has access to some form of electronic device which they use on a daily basis. This is not, however, the case with books. Too many of our children start school without the skills or knowledge of how to handle books, and are unable to even turn the pages, trying to swipe them instead or asking the teacher to 'play that again' when they have been read to. Lots of children do not even have a book in their house and are not read to or heard practising their reading at home. It is, therefore, more important than ever to expose children to books from a very early age.  We build our curriculum around language and texts, teaching daily phonics, reading to the children every day, expanding their vocabulary and immersing them in the wonderful world of storytelling.  We work in partnership with Coram Beanstalk who visit school once a week and work alongside children to foster a love of reading that, we hope, will take them into adulthood.

Join us as a reading helper here