Being a trustee at Read for Good has been an extraordinary experience, both immensely rewarding and exciting. 

It all started a few years ago when I was retiring from my career as an NHS accountant and was looking for something that would take me in a new direction and which would enable me to make a difference. I was hoping to get involved in work that would have a more immediate effect than was possible in such a huge and unwieldy organisation like the NHS. 

One day a colleague mentioned Read for Good and I immediately thought ‘ Wow what a great charity that would be to get involved in!’ My wife Julie mentioned that she’d come across Read for Good in her work as a children’s librarian and had been very inspired. Suddenly it seemed as if it was meant to be! I was appointed treasurer in May 2016 and it’s been fantastic ever since! My professional accountancy background means I can help Read for Good create long term plans for financial sustainability and make wise business decisions for the future, such as necessary digital development, as well as keeping it resourced in such  an uncertain financial climate. I find it exciting to be part of making important decisions and to be able to get things signed off very quickly, knowing that I’m able to add some value.

I’ve always felt that reading is so important for kids; my dad used to read to me a lot when I was a child. I’ve got wonderful memories of the spy thrillers of John Buchan (author of the 39 steps) and exotic adventure stories from the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Sir Henry Rider Haggard, that he read to me when I was 9 or 10. I loved and absorbed all these adventures – they opened my eyes to worlds outside my experience and other possibilities; travel, different religions and new vocabulary which expanded my horizons. It was brilliant to re-live that experience with my own children reading the Harry Potter stories.What Read for Good does in encouraging children to engage in reading has such incredible long term benefits and it’s really rewarding to be part of a bright passionate team, making such an impact.

Steve Morgan,

Trustee