Tom Levitt, patron for READ International.

Patrons are figure heads and lend credibility or support to the cause of a charity or voluntary organisation. Tom has supported READ International since 2007 and recently agreed to act as patron for READ.

Tom Levitt, Labour MP for High Peak since 1997, is one of the Third Sector's leading supporters in Parliament. He has been Chair of both the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Community and Voluntary Sector and the Community Development Fundation for several years. He also Chairs the IDeA advisory group on third sector commissioning and was a member of Baroness Neuberger's influential Commission on the Future of Volunteering.

Prior to becoming an MP he was a teacher, local councillor and voluntary sector activist. He was also a consultant on disabled people's access to mainstream services. He was a trustee of RNID for five years and did a Voluntary Sector Fellowship with Leonard Cheshire.

In Parliament Tom has served on the Select Committee on Standards and Privileges and is currently on the DWP Select Committee. He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Barbara Roche in three departments
(1999-2003) and to Hilary Benn in the Department for International Development (2003-2007).