Tritax Big Box, the largest listed investor in high-quality UK logistics warehouse assets, has renewed its partnership with national children’s literacy charity, Schoolreaders. The charity, founded in 2013, matches volunteers with local primary schools to provide free, one-to-one reading support sessions, with a focus on reaching the most disadvantaged children.
Tritax Big Box was Schoolreaders’ first corporate partner. Since 2019, its donations have enabled more than 1,000 school children to receive weekly one-to-one reading support sessions, delivered by over 100 volunteers. The renewed and expanded three-year partnership from 2023 will support a further 1,800 children, with sessions delivered by around 180 volunteers. The funding will reach pupils across the nation, in regions where Big Box’s assets are based.
Alan Somerville, ESG Director at Tritax Big Box, commented: “Children who enter secondary school as confident readers are empowered to thrive. Conversely, poor literacy can have lifelong – even cross-generational – consequences. We’re delighted to support Schoolreaders and its network of inspirational volunteers in enhancing young people’s lives and academic prospects – bringing long-term benefits to communities across the UK.
“From the outset, it was important that our investment reached the children who need it most in counties where we acquire and develop assets. Schoolreaders understood that and took up our challenge. As we have grown, so has their impact in the regions where we are based.”
In 2022, 1 in 4 children in England left primary school unable to read to the expected standard age 11*. Poor literacy is linked to many longer-term issues in society such as poverty, crime, unemployment, mental and physical ill-health, and homelessness. It is estimated that 16.4% of adults in England (7.1 million people) have very poor literacy skills** struggling with everyday tasks like reading a medicine label, interpreting simple written instructions, or filling out a job application form. In addition, nearly two-thirds (62%) of people entering prisons have the literacy skills expected of an 11-year-old***.
Schoolreaders’ founder Jane Whitbread adds: “As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, Schoolreaders’ work has never been more vital. Weekly time with our volunteers makes a proven difference to a child’s reading ability, fluency, comprehension and, just as important, their love of reading and social skills. It connects people and helps build community.
“We know from the volunteers themselves that the benefits of the programme also extend to them. They gain so much from knowing they’ve made a difference to a child’s day and, even better, their future. Everyone wins with the simple Schoolreaders model which is also highly scalable and cost-effective. Our long-standing partnership with Tritax Big Box has been instrumental in reaching many more children with this vital reading support.”
Currently, around 16,250 children are receiving in-person support sessions every week from a Schoolreaders volunteer, and the charity has ambitious growth planned into 2024, 2025 and beyond. Schoolreaders is solely financed by fundraised income. Donations help fund the charity’s operations, including the recruitment and interviewing of all volunteers, engagement with primary schools, matching volunteers to the best school, ongoing volunteer and school support, and ensuring appropriate safeguarding and DBS processes are in place.
ENDS
Sources:
* https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-2-attainment/2021-22
**https://literacytrust.org.uk/parents-and-families/adult-literacy/
***https://literacytrust.org.uk/programmes/books-unlocked/new-chapters/#:~:text=Nearly%20two%2Dthirds%20(62%25),Prison%20Reform%20Trust%2C%202021).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Schoolreaders CIO
Registered Charity Number: 1159157
Izzy Perks, Marketing & Communications Manager
Email: i.perks@schoolreaders.org
Tritax Group
Kekst CNC
Neil Maitland / Tom Climie
Tel: +44 (0) 7971 578 507
+44 (0) 7760 160 248
Email: tritax@kekstcnc.com
NOTES
Tritax Big Box REIT plc (ticker: BBOX) is the largest listed investor in high-quality logistics warehouse assets and controls the largest logistics-focused land platform in the UK. Tritax Big Box is committed to delivering attractive and sustainable returns for shareholders by investing in and actively managing existing built investments and land suitable for logistics development. The Company focuses on well-located, modern logistics assets, typically let to institutional-grade tenants on long-term leases with upward-only rent reviews and geographic and tenant diversification throughout the UK. The Company seeks to exploit the significant opportunity provided by the imbalance between strong occupational demand and constrained supply of modern logistics real estate in the UK.
The Company is a real estate investment trust to which Part 12 of the UK Corporation Tax Act 2010 applies, is listed on the premium segment of the Official List of the UK Financial Conduct Authority and is a constituent of the FTSE 250, FTSE EPRA/NAREIT and MSCI indices.
Further information on Tritax Big Box REIT is available at www.tritaxbigbox.co.uk.
