Two Farrans employees, Rachael Smyth and Kirby McCormack, have joined Business in the Community Northern Ireland’s (BITC NI) Time to Read programme, dedicating weekly one-to-one sessions to help children improve their reading skills in local primary schools.

The award-winning scheme, developed by BITC NI and supported by the Department of Education, is designed to boost literacy, nurture a love of books and strengthen confidence and social skills among Key Stage 2 pupils across Northern Ireland.

Under the initiative, volunteers give one hour each week during term time to read individually with pupils, supporting progress while offering positive role models from the world of work.

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For Rachael and Kirby, taking part has been a chance to make a practical contribution to their community by helping children build confidence, communication skills and enjoyment of reading at an early age.

Rachel said: "I wanted to be part of Time to Read because I love to read and it is also a key life skill. Being able to help children become more confident readers is such a blessing and very rewarding. It is heartwarming to see the children excited each week to read and I felt privileged to be able to build relationships so they felt comfortable to chat and have fun while learning. I volunteered an hour a week from January to June this year. I had two children to read with separately, the same children each week so it was lovely to be able to see their progress and build their confidence."

Launched in 1999, Time to Read has supported primary school pupils for more than two decades. Participating employers release staff for an hour a week to volunteer in a nearby school, with BITC NI providing full training and Access NI clearance.

Companies report wider benefits too, including developing volunteers’ confidence, self-esteem and communication, as well as strengthening teamwork and building lasting links with schools. According to BITC NI, 100% of participating schools would recommend Time to Read to others.