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“You go home and tell your family or your friends about what you are doing and people get quite amazed that you’re doing this and your company supports it. A lot of people say ‘wow’ and then you feel better about the company that you work for.”
Volunteer
Reading for Life came out of The Unilever Australasia Foundation’s desire to make a greater social contribution in Australia and New Zealand and focus on issues that concerned their employees.
The Unilever Australasia Foundation joined with children’s charity and learning specialists Learning Links to realise this goal.
Reading for Life was trialed in New South Wales and New Zealand in 2003. Results were impressive with children, teachers, parents and volunteer employees all reporting positive experiences.
During the trial children improved an average of eight months in reading acuracy, nine months in reading comprehension and six months in reading fluency.
In late 2004 as a result of its success, Reading for Life was established as the flagship program for the Foundation. 
In the following year Reading for Life expanded to schools in NSW, Victoria and New Zealand. By mid-2005, 217 children had become reading buddies with volunteers from Unilever. In mid-2005 Sydney legal firm Allens Arthur Robinson became the second business involved with Reading for Life.
By the end of 2006, 1,100 children had been helped by Reading for Life and the program brought together a range of corporates, trusts, registered clubs and other organisations to help children falling behind in reading at school. Programs have been run in NSW, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and also in New Zealand.
The program’s goal is to continue to expand to involve other businesses, organisations and community members and help more children who find reading difficult.
“Supporting our people to be Reading for Life volunteers and make a difference for local school children has been a real three way win – it’s been great for the children, our employees and Unilever.”
Peter Slator, Chairman, Unilever Australasia
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