Former Huddersfield Town footballer Andy Booth is making a lasting impact off the pitch by promoting a love of books through his work with local schools.
Andy has successfully completed Kirklees Council’s Reading Friends training programme and is supporting children as part of his role at the club.
Andy regularly visits local schools as an ambassador for Huddersfield Town and the techniques learned through Reading Friends are helping him to have a real impact with pupils.
Andy, who scored around 150 goals for Huddersfield, said:
“When you’re sat there listening and helping the child reading a book, seeing them progress and improve over the weeks, it gives you so much pride knowing you’ve been a small part of that achievement.
“It may sound a little big-headed but I feel in my position – someone who has been a professional footballer and is going into schools and speaking to children to say how important reading is for everybody – it may make a little difference, even if it’s only one child to make them see the importance of reading.”
Reading Friends training has proved valuable at home too, with Andy supporting his own children’s reading development. Drawing on his own love of books and family reading time, Andy understands the lasting impact that stories can have.
Andy added:
“Reading the Harry Potter books to my children when they were growing up created such special memories for us as a family, and those stories have stayed with us ever since.”
Andy’s school visits come alongside his Huddersfield Town colleague, Supporter Services Manager Rachel Taylor – who is also a Reading Friend after training with the council.
Tom Brailsford, Executive Director for Children and Families, said:
“The impact of Reading Friends has proven to be significant, we know children supported through the programme typically improve their reading age by around six months in just ten weeks.
I also hope having a well-known local figure as a reading friend can encourage other volunteers to sign up.”
Reading Friends provide vital one-to-one reading support in primary schools. The training means volunteers can go into schools and help pupils with their literacy, while it also helps parents build the confidence to read with their own children.
Each volunteer completes 12 hours of training before being placed in a school, where they spend an hour a week working with two children over a 10-week period.
If you are inspired by Andy, you too can sign up and train as a reading friend.