The ESB’s Time to Read Story
Kristin Quinn, Corporate Responsibility Lead, discusses the ESB’s support and involvement in the Time to Read initiative.
The ESB is very pleased to be Business in the Community’s national partner for the Time to Read Initiative. Now in its second year, the partnership has grown from strength to strength with almost 50 company volunteers working with four schools each week. “It has been a really positive experience for our volunteer readers” says Kristin Quinn, ESB’s Corporate Responsibility Lead. “They are confident in the training they are given by BITC and its great to see how much they enjoy the reading experience , it’s a real highlight each week and they feel they are really making a difference”, she explains.
Through its Energy for Generations Fund, ESB is committed to supporting initiatives aimed at tackling educational disadvantage. The Time to Read Programme is a very good fit for the company from this perspective as building literacy skills in young children is a key enabler to lifelong enjoyment of and confidence in reading. The company would encourage other organisations to get involved in the Programme. “It’s a well organised, effective programme supported by high quality academic analysis. Also, it’s great for an organisation in terms of staff engagement – our volunteers enjoy the opportunity to participate and bring great positivity and enthusiasm back to our workplace – and we all benefit from that”.
The ESB’s 4 Time to Read partnerships:
ESB – Wilton, Cork & Glasheen GNS
ESB – Aghada, Cork & Scoil Cholmáin, Whitegate NS
ESB – Santry, Dublin & St. Kevin’s BNS
ESB HQ – Dublin & St. Patrick’s GNS
