Staff from Warburtons Stockton Bakery swapped their baking tins for reading books as part of the family bakers nationwide 'What a Difference a Day Makes' campaign, taking place in communities up and down the country.
Several employees from Stockton Bakery, including Joanne Dicks, HR Manager, took part in a range of assisted reading exercises to help students aged 5 to 9 at nearby Preston Primary School with their literacy skills.
Joanne explains: "Warburtons 'What a Difference Day' is all about bringing together employees, friends, families, suppliers and customers to make a real difference in a single day on a national scale, but also on a very local level.
"It was incredibly rewarding going in to the school, meeting the children, helping them to see the importance of listening and reading skills and answering all their questions about what we do in the bakery everyday! We all thoroughly enjoyed our time at Preston Primary and the staff and pupils were incredibly welcoming.
"Warburtons operates two bakeries in the North East and a further 12 across the UK, which are supported by 15 depots. The campaign is part our on-going commitment to society and the local communities in which we operate."
More than 50 teams of Warburtons staff have helped out in their communities after requests were sent out to charities and worthy causes who were in desperate need of volunteers.
Head teacher at Preston Primary School, Shirley Winters, said: "It was a great day for the children. Not only did they have the opportunity to spend time developing their reading and listening skills on a one-to-one basis, it was also a great opportunity for the children to hear at first-hand, what life is like in a busy bakery on their doorstep."
Staff at Stockton Bakery also took part in a toy collection on behalf of local charities, The Butterwick Children's Hospice and Zoe's Place. Two trolley loads of board games, computer games, soft toys, books and other play equipment were donated by employees and given to representatives from both charities by Tracey Cotterell, management secretary at the bakery.
