From September 2008 our network of student volunteers across the UK will include 550 student volunteers without which our work would not be possible. We do however have a small central team of full time staff based in Vauxhall, London.

So who are we at the READ central office??

Rob Wilson (Founder and Director)

Rob left school in 2002 and took a gap year before reading Politics at the University of Nottingham. Whilst at university he founded the charitable organisation 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.

Rose Blackie (National Project Manager)

Rose studied Zoology at Nottingham University where she joined Tanzania Book Project (as it was then) as a volunteer, and in 2006 became a Project Leader for the Nottingham Book Project. She graduated in 2007 and began work for READ full time.

Tanya D'Souza (Regional Project Coordinator)

Tanya studied Psychology with Media and Cultural studies at Kingston University, where she also spent three years volunteering for, and developing a multi-awarded winning primary school mentoring scheme. Tanya met Rob at a Student Volunteering Conference in March 2008, and due to her Tanzanian origins was keen to learn more about the charity. In 2008 she graduated from Kingston and took up her position as an intern at READ International. 

Leila Emerson (Regional Project Coordinator)

Leila Emerson is from Belgium but has been living and studying in the UK for the past 3 years. She studied Education and International Relations. Leila got involved in the READ Book Project as a project leader in her last year of university. Last summer, she went to Tanzania with her project. Having graduated from University in September, Leila is now working as an intern Project Coordinator for READ International. 

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 is now building upon these experiences as she
pursues an MPhil in Development Studies at Oxford University.

We also have a board of 7 trustees (Meet the trustees.) and a patron in Tom Levitt MP.