Lewis Bronze MBE - Fonetti’s Education Ambassador

Fonetti proudly welcomes Lewis Bronze MBE as our Education Ambassador. I had the opportunity to speak with him to uncover the origins of his passion for supporting education and understand his reasons for accepting the role of Fonetti's Education Ambassador.

Lewis Bronze MBE

From a young age, Lewis Bronze had a keen interest in telling factual stories, leading him to stumble upon journalism during his time at university. This fortuitous discovery opened up an amazing opportunity for him to work as a graduate journalist at the esteemed BBC News. Ultimately, he found himself immersed in the world of BBC Newsround where he held the role of producer, an experience he cherished greatly. This marked the genesis of Lewis's fascination with education, as he was tasked with delivering thought-provoking narratives to a young audience. Although challenging, it proved immensely rewarding.

Continuing his career at the BBC, Lewis then embarked on a new journey as the editor of the renowned Blue Peter programme, dedicating many years to this role. In 1996, with a genuine desire to continue his mission of delivering high-quality content to children, he co-founded Espresso Education (later acquired by Discovery Education). The primary goal of Espresso was to introduce news videos into classrooms, serving as a valuable educational resource that enriches students' learning experiences.

Currently, in his role as the chairman of Sensations English, he wholeheartedly commits himself to fostering the development and triumph of young individuals. This ongoing passion relentlessly ignites his spirit and drives him forward.

‘I almost remember the day where letters became words.’

When I asked Lewis where his love for reading came from, he stated that he ‘distinctly remembers reading in school and thinking it was cool. It must have been kindergarten. We had the Janet and John books and I almost remember the day when the letters became words.’ 

He went on, "One memory that sticks with me is reading the sports pages in the Daily Express. It's what sparked my love for reading."

There were books around the house but I don’t really remember seeing my parents ever reading them. But what I do remember is he used to get paper delivered and when I heard the clap of the letterbox I used to run downstairs to be the first one to spread it out on the carpet where I went straight to the sports pages, especially the cricket.’

‘I was probably five or six when that was happening so that’s a very early memory and I didn’t realise it but what I was doing was reading and developing a love for probably news and sport and reading.

‘Once someone’s spark is caught, it can take you anywhere!’

Next, we delved into the reasons behind why he agreed to become Fonetti's Education Ambassador. He explained that he wanted ‘everyone to have the chance to be entranced by reading and be taken into new worlds and have their horizons broadened.’ He continued, ‘I want everyone to have the same opportunity and I recognise that it is much more complicated in today’s world.’ 

Fonetti is a great tool to have in your arsenal. Whether you're a teacher, parent, or child, it holds tremendous potential to revolutionise literacy and encourage a love for reading. It can empower individuals who may have otherwise missed out on that crucial initial spark, as we all know that once that spark ignites, the possibilities become limitless. 

"Fonetti is a revolutionary tool in the classroom, capable of transforming the way we approach reading. I firmly believe that widespread adoption of Fonetti in classrooms nationwide would lead to a remarkable improvement in reading scores, given adequate time for implementation. And from that comes all learning, all the curriculum follows, and that is why reading is so important. So that is my motivation. I want to support Fonetti as much as I can.’

Our CEO, Kim Antoniou adds 

"We take great pride in extending a warm welcome to Lewis, our esteemed Education Ambassador. It is an immense honour to have him graciously share his vast experience, unwavering passion for reading, and invaluable insights with us. We deeply appreciate his generosity in dedicating his precious time to this endeavour."