The Reading Agency Receives Funding to Support People with Vision Impairments  

The Reading Agency is pleased to announce it has been awarded a grant from the Ulverscroft Foundation to further develop and expand its Reading Friends programme for individuals who are blind and partially sighted over the next two years. 

This new funding follows a successful one-year pilot project supported by the Ulverscroft Foundation in 2023-2024. During that initial year, the Reading Friends programme reached 170 people who are blind and partially sighted across four library authorities, resulting in over 2,300 meaningful social connections. 

The impact on participants was significant: 

• 87% said Reading Friends added purpose to their week 
• 82% felt less lonely 
• 79% felt more connected to other people 

As one participant shared:  

“[Reading Friends has] made me come out more, didn’t have hobbies before joining. Gave me purpose with my life.” 

Another participant described learning a different way to read through the programme: 

“I now listen to books which I love, I never knew I could before.” 

The Reading Agency’s expanded Reading Friends activity, running from September 2024 to September 2026, aims to build on the success of the pilot year. A key goal of the charity is to increase the number of blind and partially sighted individuals involved. We will continue working with four library authorities, serving as champions of good practice, and with Share the Vision, who are a key partner on the project.  

Over the next two years, The Reading Agency plans to conduct sharing and learning dissemination events and activities and co-production sessions and set up an Innovation Fund to support library authorities in developing innovative approaches to reaching individuals who are blind and partially sighted. 

To ensure the programme’s effectiveness, The Reading Agency will broaden its evaluation, helping to refine the programme and maximise its impact on the blind and partially sighted community. 

“This generous grant from the Ulverscroft Foundation will allow us to build on the success of the pilot and bring the benefits of Reading Friends to even more individuals with vision impairments. We’re excited to work with our library partners to expand this impactful work, and we extend our sincere gratitude to Ulverscroft Foundation for their continued support in making reading accessible and enjoyable for all.” 

Karen Napier MBE, CEO, The Reading Agency