Meet The Reader: Staff Spotlight with Michael Prior

Michael Prior is our Partnerships Lead at The Reader. After increased demand in libraries and care homes for Shared Reading, his team are particularly looking for volunteer Reader Leaders in Wigan and Leigh.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at The Reader.

I've worked in arts organisations for many years. Until I joined The Reader 2019 it was mostly visual arts, first in in galleries and then on public art projects. (I once helped tow an island from the Arctic on a tour of the coast of south west England. On the way it was declared a new nation. But that's another story.) It's been fascinating to find the common ground (and new ideas) between Shared Reading and how people engage with art. At The Reader I am in the Partnerships team. We find new community partners to help start new groups and support all the partners who are already working with us. I do this in several areas across the country including Wigan and Leigh.

New groups are launching in Wigan and Leigh, why is this and where are they?

The Reader has supported Shared Reading in Wigan and Leigh for several years and now we're expanding our programme there. We've had lots of interest from care homes, libraries in Standish and Atherton, Wigan and Leigh Archives and local charities such as Rebuild With Hope, Compassion In Action and The Salvation Army. They all know Shared Reading will make a difference for the people they work. One Wigan partner told us,

"Shared Reading could really help bring people together; get them talking in a new way about who they are and what they're all about. We need this."

So we're looking for volunteers to help us meet this demand and start new groups.

What would you say to someone looking to become a Reader Leader volunteer?

For anyone interested in reading and who likes people, it's the perfect volunteer opportunity. You don't need to be a books expert - just interested in reading and keen to try new things.

We give you all the training and support you need and once you are a Reader Leader, you'll meet your group each week and share a story or poem with them. You'll get to know them, connect and share with each other and laugh along the way. You'll see the impact of what you're doing. You will make a real difference for people - bring something new and powerful to their lives.

What can someone expect when they sign up to become a Reader Leader volunteer?

Once you let us know you are interested, we'll give you a call. We'll tell you everything you need to know and help you get along and try some Shared Reading in a local group or online. We'll discuss the local opportunities for you to start or help sustain a group, before you go on to train on our Read To Lead course. We give you all the support you need for as long as you are volunteering with us and we get loads of great feedback from our volunteers.

One of our Reader Leaders told us her role "has added a different dimension to my understandings... I can’t praise it enough. It’s given me a new stride in my step."