Thurrock Library honoured 68 young volunteers, aged between 13 and 17, for their significant contribution to this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. The volunteers dedicated over 1,300 hours during the summer period, encouraging younger children to read six or more books.
The ceremony, held at Blackshots Civic Hall, saw Cllr Bill Cook, Mayor of Thurrock, present the volunteers with their certificates. The Mayor commended their achievements, stating, “Congratulations on your achievements. You have shown that age is no barrier to leadership, and service is not just something we talk about but something we do.”
Cllr George Monk, Cabinet Member for Heritage and Culture, also praised the volunteers. He remarked, “These amazing young volunteers gave up part of their summer to help inspire a love of reading in children and support our wonderful libraries. Thank you to them for their efforts and for showing a community spirit that we can all be proud of.”
Sofia, 17, a returning volunteer, highlighted the importance of encouraging reading in the digital age. She said, “I’ve been volunteering for the reading challenge for a couple of years, and it’s such an amazing opportunity to get kids into reading. In this digital age it is so important that they are picking up books that they are excited by. I think that is so important.”
Owen, 17, shared his positive experience, noting, “This is my second year, and I really enjoy engaging with the children and encouraging them to enjoy reading. Being a volunteer has also improved my own confidence and helped my communication skills.”
This year’s ‘Read to the Beat’ challenge, implemented across all Thurrock libraries, successfully encouraged 2,179 children to read throughout the summer holidays. The annual challenge aims to maintain and improve children's reading skills during the break.
