‘Time To Read’ Seagate Volunteers Graduate

‘Time To Read’ Seagate Volunteers Graduate

Five Seagate employees have recently completed three years as volunteers on an innovative paired-reading programme that aims to encourage and inspire children to develop an appreciation of books and reading.

The programme, Time to Read, is a volunteering initiative developed and managed by Business in the Community that enables volunteers from the world of business to spend an hour a week with primary school children to assist them with their reading. Through interaction with the adult volunteers, the children develop better communication skills and grow in self-confidence.

Over the last three years, the five Seagate volunteers have befriended and inspired a total of ten children from Lisnagelvin, Longtower and Ebrington primary schools. Now those pupils are set to move on to secondary level education, having benefited from the regular contact with their adult volunteer. The employees who are ‘graduating’ from the scheme this year are Sharon McCann and Ryan Thompson, who volunteered their services at Lisnagelvin; Siobhan Lincoln and Angela McCallion, who took part in the scheme at Ebrington; and June Coates, who read with children at Longtower Primary School.

“It’s been very rewarding to see the children’s confidence levels and self-esteem grow over the past three years,” said Siobhan Lincoln, an engineer at Seagate. “During that time, we’ve seen their choice of reading material really broaden and diversify. Meeting on such a regular basis has definitely helped develop the children’s communication skills. Participating in this programme has been a very worthwhile experience.”

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