Published: Thursday, 12th June, 2008 12:00
Thanks for giving us ABC
By Annabel Williams
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A COUNTY-wide charity which helps youngsters improve their literacy has bid farewell to its hard-working founder with a surprise party.
Scores of volunteers from Assisting Berkshire Children (ABC) To Read organised a bash for Brigid Parkes’ retirement, thanking her for her “determination, courage and ability”.
ABC To Read co-ordinates volunteers to go into the county’s primary schools to help children improve their reading skills and provide them with mentoring.
Mrs Parkes, from Tilehurst, set the cause up in 2003 after volunteering for a similar charity which withdrew from the area at short notice, and she has been co-ordinating ABC’s volunteers ever since.
Mrs Parkes was presented with flowers, and gift vouchers for her favourite pottery shop, at Christ Church Hall in Crockhamwell Road, Woodley.
Thanking all the “loyal” volunteers, teachers and headteachers who helped over the years, she said: “I have learned lots of hard things but I have learned I can do lots of hard things and that’s been good for me.
“It’s been great fun, very varied, there were all sorts of things that could be happening, from filling out a boring grant application to meeting the Home Secretary.
“People have said 'how can you leave? This is your baby’.
“But it’s quite a big baby now and in a sense, I’ve only been minding it, so I think this is time to say goodbye.”
ABC to Read patron, Reading West MP Martin Salter, said: “We need more people with the determination, with the courage and with the ability to bring people together in the way Brigid has in order to achieve what Brigid has achieved.
"Thank you for all you have done. I do not judge people by what they do but by what they leave behind, and I know Brigid is leaving ABC To Read in good hands. We owe her a huge debt of gratitude.”
Mrs Parkes’ role as co-ordinator will be filled by Tessa Dove, who told The Chronicle: “Brigid is going to be a very hard act to follow but I am delighted to be able to take on a thriving charity which does such wonderful work with children.
"There’s a dedicated team of volunteers here so I feel really honoured to be here.”
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