Our team
Laura Price – CEO
My professional expertise unites my experience of working with communities to address inequality with a lifelong constant: a love of reading. During my six years at Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA), I grew the team, reach, and impact of my work, leading successful programmes alongside partners including the NHS, Oxfordshire County Council, and HMP Bullingdon. Prior to this, my career spanned leadership positions across the voluntary, public, and publishing sectors, starting with editorial and commissioning roles at Blackwell Publishing. laura@readforgood.org
Cherry Land – COO
I bring over 30 years’ senior leadership experience across Early Years, SEND and the charity sectors. I work closely with the Board and leadership team, laser-focused on ensuring a well-governed, financially sustainable organisation that delivers meaningful impact for children and families. The charity’s values of curiosity, generosity, professionalism and kindness are close to my heart; my approach is underpinned by my own experiences of having a child who’s an NHS ‘frequent flyer’. I’ve seen first-hand the power that books and stories can wield in hospital – and that’s why I care so deeply about our work. cherry@readforgood.org
Marisa Godfrey – Head of Schools Development
I have always loved reading. As a child I immersed myself in books and comics and enjoyed the intimacy I felt with the characters. Reading was an escape from the trials of everyday life and provided comfort and amusement. It also introduced me to different lived experiences, which started to open my eyes to the complexities of the world. As an adult I love seeing the excitement and affirmation that a good story can bring to children and young people. I am passionate about ensuring that all children discover the joy of reading and experience the numerous benefits that they will gain as a result. My role is to support our team to build relationships with schools and other organisations to demonstrate the power and impact our programmes. marisa@readforgood.org
Lucy Robinson – Readathon Manager
As a former primary school teacher and mum of two who view reading as ‘homework’, I fully understand the challenges teachers and pupils face, which helps me to support schools running our Readathon. I feel incredibly lucky to have discovered such an awesome bunch of talented and dedicated people to work with, in a truly amazing charity which shares the love of reading with everyone, everywhere! lucy@readforgood.org
Beki Aldam – Hospitals and Stories Manager
After years of working in a variety of roles in education, with medical professionals and in the charity sector, I am thrilled to be part of the Read for Good team. As the Hospitals and Stories Manager, I work with our magical Storytellers to help bring stories, books and joy to children and young people in hospitals around the UK. beki@readforgood.org
Tash Hyde – Publishing and Book Sector Lead
During my time as an outreach librarian, I was fortunate enough to see how much joy reading and books bring to children and families. Reading for pleasure is so important – it’s an escape, a way to find out more about the world, a place to find inspiration, and an activity that empowers. I’m so excited to support schools running Readathon, helping pupils to read anything and everything they choose whilst helping to make the stays of those in hospital that little bit brighter. tash@readforgood.org
Laura Killeen – Grants and Trusts Manager
My fundraising career has focused on trusts and grants fundraising for small creative charities and a large national charity, securing a range of donations from three-figures up to six-figures. A key part of being a successful fundraiser is storytelling, being able to passionately tell a charity’s story to various stakeholders. My storytelling skills are founded in my love of reading which was developed from a young age through access to my community library. It’s a privilege to work with the team at Read for Good, inspiring children to discover the magic of reading. laurak@readforgood.org
Izzy Charman – Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Officer
My life story is all about… stories! As a child, I devoured books (I vividly remember walking down the street reading) and as an adult, I’ve devoted my career to storytelling in different guises – from making documentaries as a television producer and director, to writing non-fiction books. I now bring my broad experience and my passion for stories to Read for Good’s fundraising team, working with corporate partners and trusts. I am thrilled to be part of Read for Good’s mission of sharing the magic of stories with the children who need it most. izzy@readforgood.org
Paul Barrett – Grants & Trusts Senior Officer
I believe that reading for pleasure has the power to transform people’s lives. I love the open roads that fiction puts beneath our feet and the excitement of the journey never fades. I am a bibliophile at heart with a home full of books and a head full of stories, so I am thrilled to be part of the Read for Good team. Working as an English teacher for 30 years, I have often seen how important stories are to children’s creativity, development and wellbeing. It is always a pleasure to see young people lose themselves in a great book. My role as part of Read for Good’s fundraising team allows me to work alongside people who share the desire to change children’s lives for the better. It is a pleasure to come to work each day. paul@readforgood.org
Ella Mason – Fundraising Officer
When I was learning how to read as a child, I really struggled! It took me a while, but once I mastered the basics books became essential in my life. At first stories allowed me to escape and imagine, but now I turn to books for perspective. My favourite types of books at the moment are rooted in creativity, whether it be a graphic novel or a design reference book. My role at Read For Good resides in the fundraising team, and I like to think that I bring a creative angle to the role of Fundraising Officer. Cheerleading is a large part of fundraising which I love doing, and I value hearing how and why people support Read For Good as it allows me to cheer them on! ella@readforgood.org
Hannah Bolland – Charity Administrator
Reading has always made me feel at home, wherever I am. I have also seen the powerful impact a good story can have on children, the imagination it can inspire in them, along with the pleasure they get from sharing that story with others. To have the opportunity to work with a team as lovely as the Read for Good team, as well as being able to share the absolute joy of reading with children and call it work, feels like a story I couldn’t have made up if I’d tried! hannah@readforgood.org
Justine Daniels – Strategic & Special Projects Advisor
I have the privilege of being part of the best team in the world, united in our passion to get the nation’s kids to love reading. With two ‘reluctant readers’ of my own, who themselves seem to be constantly hard-wired to some device or other, I know how difficult, but also how incredibly important it is to keep the magic of reading and stories alive. justine@readforgood.org
Ali Bishop – Brilliant Bookshop Experience Lead
I love how books create wonderful worlds, characters, feelings and ideas in your mind! Reading was a huge part of my childhood. I loved mysteries and animal stories most of all. Over the years, I’ve worked on different types of books within the publishing industry, including cookbooks and children’s books, and also charity publications. During lockdown, I learnt more about the impact of reading for pleasure, and realised how much I wanted to help bring the joy of reading to more children. I started working with schools and communities, at the National Literacy Trust. Now, I work on the Brilliant Bookshop Experience at Read for Good, and I am proud to work alongside an amazing team, bookshops, schools and supporters to spark a lifelong love of reading! brilliantbookshop@readforgood.org
Our Volunteers
We are really fortunate to have a team of amazing volunteers who work in our office regularly every week. From managing the warehouse, processing all the lovely feedback questionnaires we get, to monitoring our media and giving us insights into what teachers want – we couldn’t do without them.
Our Trustees
Siobhain Whitty – Chair of Trustees
Siobhain has over twenty years’ International HR Operations and senior line management experience working in corporate environments in the UK and internationally; she is also a professionally qualified executive coach. Siobhain has always loved to read and feels strongly that the benefits of reading, especially for children, can be life-enhancing. She is delighted to be able to support Read for Good.
Annie Everall OBE
Director of Authors Aloud UK and Review Editor for Carousel Children’s Books, Annie was awarded the OBE in 2001 for services to children’s books and libraries in recognition of her tireless work over 30 years as a qualified children’s librarian, and for her involvement in numerous award-winning innovative services and initiatives including the Birmingham Centre for the Child, The Young Readers UK book festival, The Stories from the Web and the Derbyshire Big Book Bash for children in care and their carers. Annie is delighted to be able to put all of this to use in helping Read for Good in its mission to get all children in the UK reading for pleasure.
Rachel Bolton
Rachel has a wealth of experience across a variety of roles at different schools; starting as a secondary school modern foreign languages teacher, Rachel has now moved to a language support role in a primary school. With a passion for reading and a love of children’s literature she also ran the school library. Rachel is overjoyed to bring this experience to Read for Good.
Helen West (Safeguarding)
Helen started her career as a scientist and became a primary school teacher following the birth of her children. She moved to teaching at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, enjoying the challenges of teaching children in hospital. Having recently retired from that role, Helen was thrilled to bring her expertise to Read for Good, having seen its service benefit many children in hospital.
Paula Regan
Paula has worked in children’s book publishing for more than 20 years. A Publisher at DK, she produces non-fiction, illustrated books for children around the world in partnership with popular brands. Paula lives in London with her husband and two sons, and knows first-hand the challenges of getting children to read for pleasure, and also the joy and great benefits that it brings.
Amanda Shields (Treasurer)
Amanda is a chartered accountant and brings a wealth of governance, advisory and regulatory experience from over 30-year working in the financial services sector where she held senior management and executive board positions. Amanda was delighted to join Read for Good as a trustee and is keen to bring her experience to support its work sharing the pleasure of reading and storytelling with children. She is a strong advocate of the benefits of reading, not just to enhance knowledge and understanding, but also its power to encourage creative and curious minds to roam and to flourish.
Emma Bessent
Emma works in arts and humanities research funding. As an avid reader who grew up learning to manage multiple chronic health conditions, she knows the difference that a truly good read can make. Communication and connection-building are key to her professional life, and she is really excited to see how these skills can be put to good use through trusteeship of Read for Good.
Kevin Orchard
Kevin has worked in HR within a variety of sectors for the last 18 years. In the past 10 years, he has specialised as a senior leader within the charity sector.
To contact our trustees or if you are interested in becoming a trustee, please contact reading@readforgood.org.
Join our team
We don’t have any current vacancies. Follow Read for Good’s LinkedIn page for latest recruitment opportunities.
