Work your Brain in the New Year

13/12/2007

One of the top 10 most popular New Year’s resolutions to make is ‘more volunteering.’ For people who toast to this resolution on New Year’s Eve, it is easy to get started in 2008.

An option to get the brain juices flowing and help kids at the same time involves reading. Volunteer Reading Help [VRH] is a voluntary literacy charity in Briton which helps kids learn to love reading.

VRH is currently recruiting people to work with children ages 6 to 11 who need a bit of help with reading. Volunteers spend time in local schools for an hour and a half twice a week and help three children with reading.

The programme places volunteers with children for individual attention for half an hour. The time is spent reading, playing games, and talking. These one-on-one sessions are designed to help children with reading skills and self-esteem.

Volunteers receive full training all books and games and a fieldworker on-hand to offer advice and support. Manager of VRH Inner London office, Amelia Shaw says: “You don’t need qualifications just the ability to read, the wish to help children and also reliability and commitment.”

For those who are unable to volunteer, the group asks for a mention among friends who discuss volunteering at parties on New Year’s Eve.