Child Friendly Warwickshire

Warwickshire Libraries is searching for young volunteers between the ages of 13 – 19 for an exciting volunteer opportunity this summer.

The libraries team are looking for enthusiastic individuals across the county to assist with the annual Summer Reading Challenge, the UK's biggest free reading for pleasure programme for children.

The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children aged between 4 - 11 years to read for pleasure during the summer holidays, and is coordinated annually by The Reading Agency who work in partnership with libraries across the country. The chosen teen volunteers will play a crucial role in supporting children to complete the challenge, and to help them to discover new books and authors as part of their reading journey.

Each volunteer will need to be able to commit 10-15 hours of time to the role over the course of the summer holidays and bring qualities including a love of reading and the ability to share this passion with younger children, as well as patience, punctuality, and reliability.

It also offers young people a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience working with children, develop their interpersonal and communication skills, and to contribute to their local community. All volunteers will receive training and support from library staff and receive a certificate of participation.

The library encourages interested individuals to apply online before the deadline on Monday 29 May. The application process is simple and straightforward, and Warwickshire Libraries welcomes all young people who are passionate about reading to apply.

For more information about the Warwickshire Summer Reading Challenge, ask a member of staff in your local library or visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/libraries.

Rob Powell, Strategic Director for Resources, said:

"I'm delighted to see Warwickshire Libraries offering such a valuable volunteering opportunity for young people in our child-friendly library settings. The Summer Reading Challenge is a fantastic initiative that encourages children to develop their reading skills, and for young people to step forward, gain new skills, and make a positive difference within their local communities during the summer holidays."

Warwickshire Libraries is a friend of Child Friendly Warwickshire, which is bringing the county together in a collective effort to ensure all children and young people have a voice that is heard, that they are safe, happy and healthy and that they are equipped with the skills to have the best lives they can. To find out more, visit the Child Friendly Warwickshire website.

Young people that would enjoy regular access to reading can join Warwickshire Libraries as members for free. Books are available for members to borrow in-person at a local library, through the online library catalogue, or by browsing the BorrowBox collection which includes a great range of eBooks and eAudiobooks.

To join in with more volunteering opportunities across the county, on Monday 8 May 2023 people will be doing their bit and volunteering as part of The Big Help Out, a national Coronation initiative. The Big Help Out encourages all of us to have a go at volunteering, whether it be for an hour, a day, or on a regular basis to lend a hand, make a change, and help the people and good causes within our local communities. To find out more, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/volunteering