The goal
In a continued effort to tackle inequality and empower young minds, our Stop Hunger Foundation has renewed its partnership with Chapter One, a digital reading volunteer programme dedicated to improving literacy skills and reading confidence among children in disadvantaged communities.
Chapter One connects employee volunteers with young readers through weekly 30-minute online sessions during school term time. This fully remote model makes it incredibly accessible for our teams to volunteer from home or the office which in turn increases the volunteer support we offer Chapter One.
FY25 Impact at a glance
"The children genuinely enjoy their sessions with the volunteers, and these one-to-one interactions have not only strengthened their reading skills but also sparked a newfound love of reading. It's an incredibly effective and well-loved programme that continues to deliver real results at our school.”
"You’ve not only helped improve their reading but also boosted their confidence and love for learning. That’s something incredibly special."
Teacher’s quote from one of our contracts
Thanks to a generous £47,500 grant from the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, our Chapter One reading programme made a significant impact in FY25:
- 130+ Sodexo and AiP employees volunteered to regularly read with primary pupils.
- 2,410 children were supported.
- 10 cities across the UK were reached. These numbers reflect our passion and commitment to creating equal learning opportunities for all children.
Looking ahead: FY26 and beyond
Building on the success of FY25, we are expanding the partnership in FY26 with even greater ambition. The Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, announced that 2026 will be The National Year of Reading. The National Year of Reading 2026 is a campaign to address the steep decline in reading amongst children, young people and adults.
In addition to increasing the number of children supported through Sodexo and AiP volunteers, we are introducing exciting new initiatives to further inspire young learners.
Last year, we launched a story book competition, with one talented child seeing their winning story professionally printed. This year, we’re running a poetry competition, where winning entries will be brought to life and published online for children to enjoy across the country —celebrating creativity and literacy in an engaging and memorable way.
Our continued partnership with Chapter One demonstrates how collaborative action and digital innovation can deliver meaningful impact. Through remote volunteering and creative literacy initiatives, we’re proud to help shape brighter futures for children across the UK.