We have a network of over 500 student volunteers across the UK without which our work would not be possible. We do however have a small central team of full time staff based in Vauxhall, London.
Rob left school in 2002 and took a gap year before reading Politics at the University of Nottingham. Whilst at university he founded READ International with some friends. He graduated in 2006 and chose to take READ International on as a full time commitment to oversee it’s successful expansion beyond Nottingham to other UK universities. Since founding READ he has won a £20,000 Unltd Level 2 award, he was a finalist in the Daily Mail Enterprising Young Brits Awards 2006, winner of the Social Enterprise Day 2006 award, and finalist in the New Statesman Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2008. He also founded NoPC, a new and innovative education solution set to revolutionise access to information technology across the developing world.
Rose Blackie - National Project Manager
Rose studied Zoology at Nottingham University where she joined Tanzania Book Project (as it was then) as a volunteer in 2005, and in 2006 became a Project Leader for the Nottingham Book Project after travelling to Tanzania with READ. She graduated in 2007 and began work for READ full time.
Laela Adamson - Head of Development - Tanzanian Operations Laela began work with READ International as a volunteer for the Nottingham Book Project in 2005-6. Since then she has designed READ’s evaluation and monitoring processes and conducted research on the potential development of the book project model and its impact in Tanzania. She came on board as a full time member of staff in 2009 and now works in our East African office based in Dar es Salaam
Emma Piper - Think Global Manager
Emma studied Law and Sociology at Warwick University and became a project leader of the first Warwick Book Project in 2006. Emma came up with the idea for our Think Global workshops whilst in her third year of university and, with the support of READ, has been developing them ever since. She became a full time member of staff after gradating in 2009.
Elizabeth Thompson - Regional Project Coordinator
Lizzie has volunteered with many charitable organisations and set up her first project in sixth form introducing paper recycling to the school. She then went on to study Environmental Science at university where she ran and organised an environmental art workshop for children in her first year, as well as establishing UEA volunteers society. In her third and final year of university she became Fundraising officer for READ Book Project Norwich 2008- 2009 and became a full time member of staff upon graduating.
Joe Lawson - Regional Project Coordinator
Joe studied at the University of Warwick, where he studied Modern History and Politics. After visiting East Africa in his ‘gap’ year, Joe got involved with READ in his second year at university and went on to become Resource Collection Project Leader in his third and final year. He worked with READ in Tanzania in 2008 and 2009, and joined READ International as a Project Coordinator in September 2009.
Sarah Ford - Regional Project Coordinator
Sarah studied English and Criminology at The University of Liverpool. In 2006, she was a member of v20, the youth advisory board for the volunteering charity, v. She has run book and photography projects in Ghana before becoming involved with READ as a project leader for the Liverpool Book Project in her final year of university. After graduating in 2008, Sarah spent a year working and travelling before joining READ full time as an intern Project Coordinator.
Rachel Newson – Campus Book Drive Coordinator
Rachel graduated in Geophysical Sciences from the University of East Anglia in 2009. During her final year at university she became involved with READ as the PR and Communications project leader for READ Book Project Norwich and set up the campus book drive there. After graduating she travelled to Tanzania with READ after which she started work for READ full time.
