MASANAS Commits Five Years of Reading Support to Ten Welsh Primary Schools

MASANAS, the philanthropic venture and investment company co-founded by award-winning entrepreneur Mark Sweeny, has committed to fund five years of whole-school reading support across ten Welsh primary schools, helping thousands of children build their reading skills and confidence.

The commitment is being delivered in partnership with Auris Tech Limited, the British company behind Fonetti, a reading platform that listens to children read aloud and helps them as they go.

It is the first education commitment made by MASANAS since its launch earlier this year, reflecting its wider focus on backing Welsh entrepreneurial talent and supporting projects that create opportunities for young people across Wales.

Mark Sweeny's own route into business has shaped his view of the importance of opportunity. He left school with minimal academic qualifications and began his working life at McDonald's before joining Lloyds Bank in data processing. While working full-time, he spent eight years studying at night school, eventually achieving a first-class honours degree and an MBA.

He went on to found Certus Solutions, one of the UK's leading Oracle Cloud consultancies, which was acquired by Accenture in 2018, before founding a multi-award-winning technology company based in Newport.

Mark Sweeny, Founder and Chief Executive of MASANAS, said:

“I spent eight years studying at night school while working full-time, and I was fortunate to have people who gave me opportunities along the way. Qualifications are something you can go back and get. Reading is different. If a child leaves primary school struggling to read, it can affect everything that comes after.

“That's a big part of why we wanted to make a long-term commitment to these schools. Wales is where we're starting, but I'd like to see other businesses get behind this too and help more children across the UK.”

The ten schools will have whole-school access to Fonetti, with no cap on the number of pupils who can use the platform, and families able to use it at home.

Around 3,500 children will be reached at any one time, with every new intake able to benefit throughout the five-year commitment.

The schools have already used Fonetti with their pupils through this year's National Read-Aloud Challenge. Having seen the platform in use and the results with their own children, each has asked to continue. Funding is the only barrier.

The programme forms part of a wider ambition from Auris Tech to improve children's reading through regular reading aloud and personalised support.

The National Read-Aloud Challenge, which Auris Tech funds outright, has so far attracted more than 35,000 registered children who have collectively recorded more than 3.5 million minutes of reading. In the latest family survey, 88% of parents reported that their child was enjoying reading more, while 91% noticed increased reading confidence.

For MASANAS, the ten-school commitment is intended to be a starting point rather than a one-off programme. Other businesses will be invited to fund schools on the same basis, with the aim of building a wider group of organisations willing to make a long-term commitment to improving children's reading.

Wales is where the programme begins, but the opportunity is open to schools elsewhere in the UK.

Kim Antoniou, Founder and Chief Executive of Auris Tech, said:

“Reading aloud to someone who listens is the most effective thing a child can do to become fluent, and it is the thing schools have least time for. Fonetti gives every child that listener. MASANAS has removed the only reason these ten schools could not have it.”

The ten schools will be confirmed during the autumn term. Individual schools will then be announced separately, with each school given the opportunity to share its own experience of the programme.