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Coram Beanstalk reading helper a finalist for Lambeth Civic Award

Coram Beanstalk reading helper, Janine Roebuck, was selected as a finalist for Lambeth Council’s ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award and invited to attend a ceremony to announce the winners last week.

Lambeth Council held a glittering awards ceremony at Lambeth Town Hall, compered by Mr Cee with guest speaker Levi Roots, a song performance from a local performer Esther Ole and a dance performance by dance group Empyrean LDC.  

Janine was touched to have been nominated and even more delighted to have been chosen as one of five finalists in the category of ‘Volunteer of the Year’. Describing the ceremony as ‘hugely uplifting’ Janine found herself at the same table as the legendary Levi Roots and the film director, producer and scriptwriter Fredi Nwaka.

When speaking about her volunteering, Janine said: 

“I had a hereditary, progressive deafness and ultimately become profoundly deaf, so had bilateral Cochlear Implants in 2019.  My speech perception went from 33% and 4% to 96% in both ears – which enabled me to hear children’s voices again.”

“Thanks to my Mother, I adored reading as a child and spent many happy hours lost in the pages of books, immersed in a world of wonderment and magic.  
Not having children of my own, what greater joy than to be able to share this passion with as many other children as possible?”
“I am absolutely thrilled to be a Coram Beanstalk volunteer. I was often asked by the teacher to read with other children in the class when I was in Junior School – it feels like it has come full circle and I can be useful again now I am retired.”
The Volunteer of the Year award was in fact won by Teresa Neville of Cruse Bereavement Support but Janine was one of 45 finalists across nine award categories, from a total of 480 nominations.
When we asked the Deputy Head at the school where Janine volunteers if she’d like to add to Janine’s nomination, she told us:
“Janine is absolutely brilliant. She has such a sunny and positive disposition. It is unbelievable the impact that she has had on our reluctant readers. Last year whilst working with three year 6 pupils who were missing the expected mark for SATs reading, she worked her socks off to get the pupils to love reading and guess what – they all passed!”

If you want to become a reading helper like Janine, fill in your details here

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