Celebrating Our First Year of National Lottery Funding for Shared Reading

As we celebrate a successful year of Shared Reading, we reflect on a year of tremendous growth, impact, and community building across Derby and Derbyshire.

Over the past 12 months, Shared Reading has reached new heights, expanding our network, strengthening partnerships, and working hard to reduce isolation and improve well-being within our communities.

Our Volunteer team has flourished, and we’ve brought in fresh talent and ideas, thanks to new management and staff who are committed to enhancing our success. We are incredibly excited that our National Lottery Community funding continues for a second year.

In October 2023, we welcomed Rose as our Strategic Lead and Amy as our Volunteer and Support Officer, marking the start of a new chapter for Shared Reading. As we celebrate their one-year anniversary with the team and embark on our second year of funding, it's the perfect moment to reflect on the incredible progress and achievements of the past year.

Building Stronger Communities

At the heart of Shared Reading is a mission to foster social connections and build stronger communities. Through our regular reading groups across Derby and Derbyshire, we’ve worked alongside communities to improve mental health and reduce isolation, creating safe spaces where participants can come together to read and discuss poems, short stories, and other writings. By promoting well-being, boosting confidence, and encouraging thoughtful discussion, Shared Reading provides a space for people to share stories and build new relationships.

A Year of Milestones

As we mark our first year, it’s a moment to celebrate the key milestones and achievements that have shaped our journey:

1. National Lottery Community Funding: We are delighted to announce that our National Lottery Community funding, which was renewed in July 2024, will support us for another year, allowing us to grow our impact further.

2. Reaching More People: Over the past year, we’ve reached 230 participants through our Shared Reading groups, special events, and the Poetry on a Postcard Project, bringing literature into the lives of more people.

3. Expanding Our Reach: We now offer Shared Reading sessions in 15 different settings, furthering our mission to connect with diverse communities.

4. Volunteer Growth: Our team of active volunteers has grown to 42 individuals, whose dedication and passion are the driving force behind our success.

5. Strategic Development: We’ve crafted a new three-year Strategic Plan, developed a peer mentor scheme, a Volunteer Handbook, and additional training and resources to support our volunteers in delivering impactful sessions.

6. Strengthened Partnerships: We’ve built and strengthened partnerships with local charities, organisations, and educational bodies, including Derby Libraries, Kingsway Hospital, Derby College, Derby Carers, and Artcore Cafe, allowing us to reach more people.

7. Innovative Projects: One highlight of our year has been the development of the Poetry on a Postcard Project. Initially held at Royal Derby Hospital, the project now sends 32 postcards each month to mental health and dementia wards at Kingsway Hospital, sparking conversations and creating connections between patients, their care teams, and families.

8. Children's Engagement: In collaboration with Derby City Libraries, we introduced the Blue Peter Badge project, offering children in Derby the opportunity to earn a book badge through Shared Reading.

9. Refugee Week Participation: During Refugee Week, over 50 postcards written by refugees, sharing what 'home' means to them, were displayed in libraries and read aloud in our groups, amplifying voices that are often unheard.

10. Expanding Shared Reading: For the first time, we delivered Shared Reading training to an external organisation, WELLIES at Growing Rural Enterprise. This initiative empowers other organisations to deliver their own Shared Reading groups, expanding the program’s reach and impact.

Participant Feedback

Shared Reading has touched the lives of many participants over the past year. Here’s what some of them had to say:

"Most people will think of being in hospital as a negative experience… but I will always look at these (poetry postcards) now and remember my stay in hospital as a positive one."

– Royal Derby Hospital Patient

"My favourite thing about Shared Reading is that we have a lively membership, and our chosen poems create many diverse memories from our lives that we wouldn’t have thought about."

– Mickleover Library Participant

Volunteer Voices

Our dedicated volunteers play a vital role in making Shared Reading a success. Here’s what a few of them shared about their experience:

"I like working with young people, and working with students from all over the world adds another dimension to the experience. There's a real sense of ‘making a difference.’"

"I enjoy seeing the group members every week and sharing our choices of poems, articles, and short stories. It’s a closed residential group, so relationships are nurtured, and it feels worthwhile. Some members see it as a lifeline as they get older and more frail. I use my group work skills developed over 44 years in the NHS, and it feels nice to be useful now in retirement."

Partner Praise

We’ve also received wonderful feedback from our partners, who see firsthand the positive impact of Shared Reading on their communities:

"Shared Reading supports our carers by giving them some much-needed time out from their caring roles to enjoy something for themselves. The volunteers who run our group fit in perfectly with our members."

"Shared Reading is combating loneliness, improving well-being, building confidence, and offering exposure to diverse writing and literature. The volunteers are absolutely amazing, and they make such a positive difference at the library."

Looking Ahead

As we look to the future, we are excited to continue growing and expanding Shared Reading across Derby and Derbyshire. With our volunteers, participants, and partners, we will keep building stronger communities, one story at a time.