DHL employees celebrate 1,000 reading sessions with Bookmark Reading Charity! We’re proud to mark this inspiring milestone as DHL team members continue to champion children’s literacy across England. Join us in celebrating their dedication and hear from the employees making a real impact.

We’re excited to announce that, with the support of the DHL UK Foundation, DHL employees have reached an impressive milestone of delivering 1,000 reading sessions! This incredible achievement highlights the DHL UK Foundation’s contribution to closing the literacy gap in the UK and their position as a leading partner for volunteer engagement, making a significant impact on children who need literacy support the most.

DHL’s commitment to children’s literacy

The DHL UK Foundation partnered with us in April 2023, with their employees taking part in our One-to-one Reading Programme, to support children to excel in school and beyond.

To date, DHL volunteers have dedicated over 500 hours of their time to support our vision – to ensure every child can read – and have truly made a tangible difference in the lives of children in the most disadvantaged communities.

Let’s hear from the corporate volunteers at DHL:

Lyndsey Wickens

Jessica Rydings

“The Bookmark programme has been incredibly rewarding, enabling me to inspire young readers and support them on their journey to loving books. With a diverse selection of literature at our fingertips, I feel fully supported by both the DHL Foundation and the dedicated Bookmark team, making this experience even more impactful.”

Sarah Redgrave

“Began the reading programme with a little bit of trepidation but I didn’t need to worry – I have supported two children now and it has been a pleasure to see their enjoyment of reading as they have grown in confidence, learning new vocabulary and about new things. I would recommend signing up to do Bookmark Reading to everyone!”

Emily Jack, our CEO, expressed her gratitude for DHL UK Foundation’s ongoing support and the impact of DHL volunteers:

“An enormous thank you to DHL volunteers for reaching the impressive milestone of delivering 1,000 reading sessions. As we all know, reading sets children up for greater success in life and gives them access to more opportunities too. We are, therefore, very grateful to our volunteer community for helping to change children’s stories.

It is wonderful for Bookmark that DHL UK Foundation has chosen us as one of their national charities. Their support has allowed us to reach more children and partner with more schools. Additionally, they piloted how our one-to-one reading programme could work best for corporate volunteers two years ago so that our volunteering offer is now more accessible to businesses.

Thank you to DHL UK Foundation for having a positive impact on so many children’s lives. We look forward to continuing to spread the joy of reading and seeing how many more children we can help together through this partnership!”

Emily Jack, Bookmark CEO

Why corporate volunteering matters

Our partnership with the DHL UK Foundation is a prime example of the value of volunteering and shows how businesses can play a crucial role in supporting children’s literacy, education and learning. By leveraging their employees, businesses can help to close the literacy gap and ensure every child has a chance to succeed.

Through our flexible reading programme, companies like DHL are empowering their employees to make a real difference in children’s lives. This is a great purpose-driven opportunity to strengthen an organisation’s CSR approach, while making a transformative, real-world impact – changing children’s stories for the better.

By dedicating just 30 minutes a week, during the working day, volunteers can read online or in-person with a child – helping them to spark a love of reading and build essential literacy skills. This commitment supports children who need it most – contributing to brighter futures.

Thank you, DHL UK Foundation, for your ongoing commitment to children’s literacy and for making a lasting difference in so many lives. Here’s to the next 1,000 sessions!

Get involved

Inspired by DHL UK Foundation’s story? Find out how your business can get involved and help children across the UK to build a brighter future through reading.