At the recent closing ceremony of this year’s ‘Time to Read’ programme, participating pupils from St. Colmcilles National School in Loughlinstown received their certificates of completion from Friends First volunteers, in the presence of proud parents and teachers.
Time to Read students with Friends First volunteers
Time to Read is a literacy programme for second class primary school students run by Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI). The programme is designed to enthuse and help children with their reading and communication skills by engaging volunteers from a local business. It aims to help children develop a love for reading.
This is the third year that Friends First have been involved with the programme with 12 new volunteers. Friends First staff kindly volunteer to dedicate their time to this worthy cause over a 20 week period. The sessions take place outside of the classroom and use specially chosen books which are only read at these sessions. The main focus is on having fun in the company of books.
The programme also included:
- A trip to the Gaiety Christmas Pantomime for all of the 2nd class students
- A site visit to the Friends First office
- A visit to the Lexicon Library in Dun Laoghaire
Friends First believes that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not just a functon or department but a philosophy integrated into our company. ‘Time to Read’ is part of a wider CSR programme and it allows Friends First to have a positive impact on the community around us. The feedback we have received from participants, teachers and volunteers has been overwhelmingly positive.