The volunteers who have helped hundreds of pupils

Elaine Hobson and Gaynor Preston (back row) have been volunteering at the school for 35 years between them

Two volunteers at a Nottinghamshire primary school have been praised for their work in supporting hundreds of young people.

Elaine Hobson and Gaynor Preston have provided additional literacy support at Canarvon Primary School, in Bingham, once a week for 15 and 20 years respectively.

They offer one-to-one support outside the classroom which includes reading, word games and puzzle sheets.

Both are part of the Literacy Volunteers charity, which assists children with communication and social skills, as well as reading and writing.

'Reading can be fun'

Ms Hobson, a former teacher who began volunteering in 2009, said: "I volunteered straight away because I wanted to work with children again, I enjoy their company."

The 76-year-old added: "I get a lot of pleasure from helping them, I meet some of the children later in life and they always stop and talk to me."

Ms Preston, who has volunteered at the school since 2004, says despite societal changes such as social media and smartphones, the benefits of reading remain the same.

The 81-year-old added: "Our objective is not to make them read. It's to make them see that reading a story can be fun. The children respond to that."

Ms Hobson (left) began volunteering in 2009 while Ms Preston (right) began her work with the school in 2004

The two volunteers have helped hundreds of children during their time at the school, including a number of current pupils.

Logan, eight, described the sessions as "very fun", and said: "It helps me learn new words about everything. From nature to cars."

Ava, also aged eight, added: "I used to struggle with reading and used to watch TV but now I know it's important to read when I get home from school."

Head teacher Andrew Board praised the pair and added that many generations of children who grew up learning from them now had the literacy skills and confidence to succeed in later life.

Mr Board said: "The approach that the volunteers take makes the learning fun and enjoyable. It makes the children more enthusiastic about reading and we want the children to be passionate about it."

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