123Read2Me Partnership Brochure

There are over 775,000 children living in poverty in Australia today. We offer a positive, simple and effective model to create real change.

The story begins… our Founder, Melinda Shelley

Melinda Shelley was shocked to learn that her neighbouring suburb is one of the most disadvantaged communities in Victoria. Every second child is vulnerable or at risk and she was concerned about the impact this would have on their futures. Parents struggling to put food on the table can’t provide books for their children. Without books, children don’t learn, don’t explore their full imagination, and don’t achieve their potential.

She heard about a free book shop overseas and decided to help these children succeed by giving them books. The owner of a thrift shop in the area was happy to have a cardboard box of free books for children to take home and Melinda would go back every week and refill the box.

Melinda’s commitment to improving the lives of local disadvantaged children was the beginning of 123Read2Me, a charity that has donated over 600,000 free books to disadvantaged children all over Australia.

Melinda’s goal is to empower kids to succeed with free books. International research is overwhelming; we know that when children have access to books and someone to read to them every day, they will have more words to use in their day-to-day, and this creates an ability to think, question, and imagine, which leads to an ability to solve problems which makes for a better life.

Who we are

123Read2Me is based in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. We empower disadvantaged children to succeed with free books, and work with over 120 organisations across Australia to make this happen.

We are an Australian Public Benevolent Institution (charity) with DGR (item 1) /TCC status, registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC).

Melinda re-filled the FREE BOOKS box weekly and children who had no books of their own were able to take them home and enjoy them

From humble beginnings

Lions Club of Mordialloc Mentone joined us as Foundation Sponsors

Melinda started buying gently loved children’s books and first placed them in a cardboard box marked “FREE BOOKS” outside an Opportunity Shop in Frankston North Operation Takeaway began when the Opportunity Shop closed and Melinda set up Free Books boxes in the local Fish & Chip shops in Frankston North 123Read2Me Limited was founded, a registered charity and public benevolent institution

Pressroom Partners begins our print & marketing support

The Pellicano Group donated our first warehouse

Macmillan Education & Academic donated $1.45 Million worth of new educational books, subsequently donated to the 55 most disadvantaged schools across Victoria

By December, 123Read2Me had given away over 500,000 books

In March 2021, Officeworks support began with a donation bin at their Frankston store,organically growing to 6 stores within 12 months

Officeworks trials of donation bins in stores across Victoria and South Australia, collecting over 47,000 books

“Thank you so, so much. I am so excited and our students will be thrilled.“

Tina Coumbe Principal, Crib Point Primary School

How it works

• We source gently loved books through our donation bins in the community. See our website for donation bin locations.

• We buy new books with financial support provided by our partners and gratefully accept new book donations.

• We check the quality of donated books, sort and pack them as age appropriate.

• We give those books to disadvantaged children via their primary schools, kindergartens, playgroups, hospitals, local takeaways, community centres, Centrelink offices etc.

Our mission

Our vision That all children regardless of background or circumstances have access to quality books.

To provide quality books and raise awareness of the impact of reading aloud to disadvantaged children across Australia.

“This is amazing. The generosity of others is overwhelming and I thank everyone involved for making this happen. What an incredible gift.”

Emma Slater Principal, Tyabb Railway Station primary School

Why should you help?

International research is unequivocal. Reading aloud to children for 15 minutes every day builds the necessary neural networks to underpin success in school and throughout their lives, helping to break the cycle of poverty.

In Australia:

44% of adults read at level 1 to 2 (a daily struggle with reading and understanding)

More than half of young Australian kids living in adversity don’t have the skills they need to learn to read. (Smith et al 2021)

In a 2021 study of Australian 5-year olds experiencing adversity, 24.9% presented with language difficulties and 43.8% were ‘Beginner’ for identifying first sounds.

(Smith et al 2021)

Reading regularly with children from a young age stimulates patterns of brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships. This, in turn, builds language, literacy, and social-emotional skills (Council on Early Childhood 2014). Source: www.aihw.gov.au

What’s in it for you?

A partnership with 123Read2Me offers a number of benefits, including but not limited to:

• A strong CSR platform to add value to your brand

Volunteering opportunities for your teams, including their families. Potential for increased sales and customer loyalty

Better brand recognition Help change the future for disadvantaged children, and the nation

- Increased ability to attract and keep talented personnel

Greater employee engagement Increased productivity and morale Create a sustainable competitive advantage

Your people can become the ‘heroes’ in their communities.

Social media – we have high organic reach in the communities we support

Lots of promotable photo opportunities in all aspects of the program. Opportunities across the year, and throughout the country

A positive, simple and effective model to create real change.

Our Impact

Since we were founded we have distributed over 620,000 free books to:

203 160 Primary Schools Preschool/Kinder/ Playgroups

Where

VICTORIA

support?

15,000 books

SA WA

NT NSW

5,000 books

VIC

QLD 3,000 books 5,000 books 45,000 books 547,000 books

The schools we support have an Index of Community Socio Educational Advantage (ICSEA) score of less than 1000. Source: www.myschool.edu.au

Schools

Latrobe Valley 28 16 East Gippsland 25 10

Northeast Victoria 31 11 Sunraysia: (Mildura and surrounds) 0 34

Goulburn Valley (Shepparton area) 10 3

Sandhurst Region (Bendigo area) 7 7

Mornington Peninsula 14 8

Greater Melbourne

OurPlace /Colman Foundation program 10 12

City of Kingston: Supported Playgroups 10

City of Melton: Supported Playgroups 13 Kirrip House (ATSI families) 1

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency 1

South Coast NSW 27 15 (2020 Bushfires)

& Western NSW

10 Richmond Tweed Regional Library Service (Lismore NSW)

QUEENSLAND

Townsville and FNQ:

SOUTH

NORTHERN

Northern Suburbs

Tenant Creek Primary School, NT

10 (2022 Floods)

(2019 Floods)

160

We also support

We also work with other amazing community and not for profit organisations to get more books to more kids who really need them. Including:

• Lions Clubs International’s District 201V5 - 123Read2Me Children’s Literacy Project

• Lions Club of Moe (Victoria) - Books 4 Kids

• Lions Club of Twin Rivers (Gippsland) - 123Read2Me project

• Lions Club of Cranbourne (Vic) - 123Read2Me project

• Lions Club of Bathurst (NSW) - Children’s Literacy Project

• Backpacks4SAKids & Backpacks4VicKids

• Anglicare programs (SA & Vic)

• Paint The Town REaD playgroups, Vic and NSW

• Peninsula Health’s Speech Pathologists

• Frankston Hospital Outpatient - Waiting Rooms

• Frankston Community Dental Service – waiting Rooms

• Centrelink Offices, Cranbourne, Frankston, Cheltenham and Hastings

• The Ardoch Foundation programs

• The Smith Family programs

• Brotherhood of St Lawrence’s Hippy Program, Frankston North

• SECASA, Seaford (Vicpol Sexual Assault Unit)

• EMERGE Women & Children’s Support Network

• Kara Family Violence Service

• Mirabel Foundation

• Nairm Marr Djambana, Indigenous Gathering Place, Frankston

• Mornington Peninsula Shire’s ‘Peninsula Reads’ program

• Les Twentyman Foundation’s Back To School Program

• Lions Club of the City of Adelaide’s ‘Hear Me Roar’ project

• Rotary Club of North Bellarine (Vic) - Books4Babies Project

• Book collection projects of the Lions Clubs of Mordialloc-Mentone, Blackburn, Moorabbin, Wheelers Hill, Rowville, Chelsea & District, Ashwood-Mt

Waverley, Boroondara-Gardiners Creek, Box Hill, Nunawading, South Vermont, Sandringham, Beaumaris, Mornington, McCrae, Frankston, Koo Wee Rup and the children lead Lions Club of NextGen.

Our Place Carlton Learning Precinct

“Thank you for everything you do for the community in providing free books. Love your work” Marie

How you can help

It is our goal to expand our operations, to provide more free books to more children and increase the impact we have in our communities.

Ways that you can help:

Team Building

Get your whole team involved and working together to help 123Read2Me. Ask us how we can tailor your team building.

Donate books

Run a book donation drive and collect new and gently loved books for children who really need them.

Spread the word

Share our social posts on LinkedIn, Facebook & Instagram from your organisation’s page and help spread the word.

Workplace Giving

Motivate your team to give to 123Read2Me by enabling them to donate from their salary in the most tax effective and efficient way.

Fundraise

There are lots of ways that you can bring your team together and raise much needed funds for 123Read2Me.

Pro Bono Support In Kind Support

• HR Services

• Warehouse Management

• OH&S Consulting

• Business Consulting

• Corporate Governance Advice

• Legal Services

• Fundraising

• IT services

Community Rewards

Talk to us about how members of your organisation, group or club can support us while saving money on their everyday spending.

• Warehousing and/or 3PL

• Vehicles

• Fuels, servicing and maintenance

• Postage & freight

• Printing

• Retail distribution

• Marketing, including social media and website

• Public Relations management

• eCommerce software

• Insurances (Public Liability, Professional Indemnity, Vehicle)

Partner organisations

“It is one of the best Lions Club projects.”

Marilyn Lions Club of Moorabbin

is so important and without books they start

behind the

Peter Lions Club of Blackburn

“The books that you supply are just so immensely appreciated by the families who take them home to read! It is such a wonderful program, rarely have I seen such a large and enthusiastic interest and uptake of any program!”

Mishelle Predika Community Engagement Support Officer, Hume City Council

“Literacy and