For the volunteers from Lockton, one lunchtime a week is now a feast of Horovitz and J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman and Michael Morpurgo. Some 16 of them make the ten-minute trip over to Mulberry Secondary School for Girls in Tower Hamlets. They are much-valued Reading Partners, working with Lloyd’s Community Programme.
The idea is simple: they sit down with pupils from the school and help to open up the magical world of reading. A nucleus of ten volunteers is backed up by a ‘buddying’ pool of six further volunteers who make sure the pupils are never without a partner.
Lee Langstaffe, Head of Corporate Audit at Lockton said: “It’s the first time I have participated in the Reading Partners project and I’m really excited about it. It’s more than just reading: it’s about helping the students develop interpersonal skills, giving them a feel for what the world of work is about, and getting them to think about their own aspirations for the future. I think it’s a great way to spend my time and help out others in the process.”
The CEO of Lockton, Julian James, added: “We only hire people who can demonstrate a passion for their work, and we apply the same philosophy to our work in the local community. Projects like this are totally consistent with our golden rule of sustaining a highly ethical, moral and caring culture. I’m delighted to see our Associates make such an important contribution.”
