Online Volunteer Support Provision – May and June 2021

We’re here to provide support for your learning needs, as well as company and connection, with our programme of weekly Shared Reading sessions and Learning Workshops for volunteers.

Prior registration is advised for all Learning Workshops, please email learning@thereader.org.uk to register your interest.

To access The Big Volunteer Shared Reading Group, please email learning@thereader.org.uk and we will provide you with the details you need to join. If you’d like to sign up to lead the practice opportunity sessions as a Reader Leader in either May or June, please email learning@thereader.org.uk

May 2021

Click here to download May’s online support provision calendar

The Big Volunteer Shared Reading Group – weekly Shared Reading for all volunteers

• Wednesday 5 May, 10.00am – 12.00pm
• Friday 14 May, 12.00pm – 1.30pm
• Thursday 20 May, 3.00pm – 4.00pm (this is a practice opportunity open to Reader Leaders to lead a group for their peers)
• Wednesday 26 May, 6.30pm – 8.00pm

Consultation on Volunteer Support Provision

Thursday 6 May, 10.00am – 12.00pm

A chance for you to let us know what you’ve valued about the online support provision we have been offering, and what you would like to see going forward.

Learning Workshop: Reading Novels in a Shared Reading Group
Wednesday 12 May, 2.00pm – 4.00pm

Reading a novel can be a really rewarding experience for a group, giving members the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves for an extended period of time and to trust enough in themselves, and each other, to commit to a longer read. This workshop will get us thinking about how we might introduce novels into our groups, or revisit them if it’s been a while, with hints, tips and guidance.

Monthly Learning Workshop: Be Bold, with Building Discussions
Wednesday 19 May, 10.00am – 12.00pm

What do we find difficult in relation to building discussions with a group? What might cause some worry for us as Reader Leaders when we try to build discussions? What can we do to feel more confident in preparing a piece of literature to share and being live in the moment with it? How can we feel more confident with making friends with silence? We’ll explore these questions in this workshop, all about making room for and expanding upon the discussions we have, which are such a vital part of Shared Reading.

Off the Bookshelf: Deep Dive with a Reader Classic
Thursday 27 May, 3.00pm - 5.00pm

Join us as we go deep in exploring texts from The Reader Bookshelf. Together we'll read and discover the riches that are waiting to be explored with a Shared Reading group.

June 2021

Click here to download June’s online support provision calendar

The Big Volunteer Shared Reading Group – weekly Shared Reading for all volunteers

Please note, the group on w/c 30 May has been replaced by a special Reading Retreat session, more information below.

• Thursday 10 June, 3.00pm – 4.30pm
• Wednesday 16 June, 6.30pm – 8.00pm (this is a practice opportunity open to Reader Leaders to lead a group for their peers)
• Friday 25 June, 12.00pm – 1.30pm
• Wednesday 30 June, 10.00am – 11.30am

Walking The Earth: A Reading Retreat
Tuesday 1 June, 10.00am – 1.00pm

Take some time out for yourself and join this special Reading Retreat, where we’ll take our time over reading extracts and selections from The Reader Bookshelf, which has the theme of Walking The Earth.

Prior registration is advised, please email learning@thereader.org.uk

Monthly Learning Workshop: Trusting the Text
Thursday 17 June, 2.00pm – 4.00pm

Trusting the text links to our Shared Reading essential of Get In and Stay In, but what do we mean by this, and how can we do it in our groups? In this Learning Workshop we’ll explore the ways in which we can place our faith in the texts we choose to read with our groups, and how doing this can reap rewards.

Shared Reading on Zoom: The Basics
Tuesday 22 June, 2.00pm – 4.00pm

If you have not yet run a group on Zoom but would like to give it a go or if you are still finding your feet with the basics, please come and join us to help give you some pointers on the way and share learning.