£81 billion a year in lost earnings and welfare spending due to low levels of literacy.
Everything changes when you read.
We’re a UK charity with a mission to empower people of all ages to read.
Help change lives through reading
This year, we’re joining the 2024 Big Give Christmas Challenge and we need your support. Donate to our campaign between 3 December 2024 and 10 December 2024 to have your donation, and your impact, doubled.
Can you help us hit our target and double the impact for adults learning to read?
Our Research
Research and evidence is central to helping us achieve our mission. We speak to people of all ages across the UK to understand how and why they read, the successes and challenges they face and how our work can make a real difference.
1 in 4 children don’t reach the expected level of reading by the age of 11
Featured booklist: Quick Reads 2025
Resources for Librarians
The Week Junior Big Book of Knowledge - Activity Pack
*How much would someone pay for a painting done by a pig? Why did a Japanese company send a hamster to space? What do Star…
Penguin and Pup: The Perfect Christmas by Hazel Gardner - Activity Sheets
Penguin is thoughtful, kind and loyal. He can be a bit cautious with new things, and he’s very sensible. Pup, on the other hand, is…
What on Earth! Always Curious for Non-fiction November - Digital Assets
*What on Earth! is a small but mighty independent publisher of illustrated children’s non-fiction books. Everything we create is lovingly crafted, visually compelling, highly giftable…
National Self-Care Week 2024 - library toolkit
A toolkit to support libraries to engage with National Self-Care Week 2024 (18 - 24 November). The toolkit includes useful information, resources, display and activity…
Latest News
How the Reading Landscape is Changing
Our Creative Director, Debbie Hicks MBE, talks about how reading is being redefined in 2024. Recent research from BookTrust and the National Literacy…
The Booker Prize 2024 Winner has Been Announced
Orbital by Samantha Harvey has been named the winner of the Booker Prize 2024. As winner of the prize, they…
The Summer Reading Challenge celebrates 25 years of encouraging young readers
This year, we’re celebrating the remarkable success of our cross-authority Summer Reading Challenge model and the 25th anniversary of the…
Library Facts
Explore key facts about libraries, including the numbers of libraries, the demographics of library users and the outcomes of using libraries.
Reading Facts
We want to create a world where everyone is reading their way to a better life. Explore UK-wide reading statistics and facts.
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