Our work in the UK
We are based in Milton Keynes and are deeply passionate about helping schools across our region as well as playing a key role in providing opportunities for community volunteering at our charity.
How we select schools to work with in the UK
At Ihezie Foundation we are deeply committed to supporting local schools and schools in areas of deprivation after we became aware that around one in eight schools have closed their school libraries in recent years.
Anecdotal accounts from headteachers indicate that libraries have begun closing at an alarming rate and that budgets left for book stocks are decreasing, reducing both the quality and quantity of books available in schools.
We find this particularly alarming because children from deprived backgrounds and ethnic minorities use school libraries much more, both groups that we know already are disadvantaged in the education system.
We have delivered over 103,000 books since our UK book delivery programme began and we offer this at no cost to schools, and fundraise for delivery costs. These books will become school library resources, and we have focused on areas of enormous deprivation as well as schools in greatest need.
Volunteering at our UK HQ
Volunteers play a critical role in our charity, from helping us design our marketing, to playing a role in our international programme design, or providing highly skilled and expert educational advice.
We also welcome volunteers who play a critical role in our warehouse helping us sort books to go to schools in the UK and Africa. We take volunteers with disabilities, or rehabilitating from serious brain injuries or strokes to support them with their rehabilitation path back to work and pride ourselves on supporting adults who have been away from the workplace for a long term to get voluntary work experience that helps them build up their CV.
We are always really proud to see our team move to paid employment.
We work closely with Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust's Occupational health team to provide supported volunteer placements, but also take any people on from any background to volunteer. Please see our Get Involved page for more information on current volunteering opportunities and to get involved.