Reading Power

Are you reading this?
In the UK, 8.5 million adults struggle to read. A world without reading is a world without access to opportunities, joy and knowledge. Donate to help us create a world of opportunity where every adult can access the benefits of reading.
Donate now
From understanding appointment letters, phone contracts and application forms - every area of life relies on reading. Lower literacy levels limit people's potential and choices, leading to lower wages and poorer health. A world without reading is a world without access to opportunities, joy and knowledge.
We're determined to make sure that less confident readers can find ways to get fired up about reading and experience the life-changing benefits it brings. We know that adults with higher reading skills and confidence are more than twice as likely to be employed and earn 12% more.
Everyone deserves access to the power of reading. Together, we can break the cycle of poor literacy and provide the tools and inspiration for people to get the most out of life.
Other ways to support us
- Buy books through Bookshop.org to support us at no additional cost to you.
- Take part in a book-themed fundraiser with your friends or colleagues. Take a look at our fundraising ideas to help you get started.
- Join a reading group with your friends and be a part of our community.
- Set up a direct debit via our donations platform.
- Doing any festive shopping online this year? Install Easyfundrasing on your web browser and earn donations for The Reading Agency while you shop
- Purchase Quick Reads, gift them through Bookshop.org to family and friends.
How you've helped
With your support, we empower people of all ages to read, because everything changes when you read. Here's just some of what we achieved together in 2022-23:
- We reached over 2.17 million people
- We hosted 7,873 reading groups across the UK
- People borrowed over 12.9 million books from libraries
- 139,863 people joined their local library
- We gifted 256,825 books, ebooks and audiobooks
Read more about our impact here
Working with public libraries, prisons, hospitals and other community settings, we reach over two million people a year. But with a UK population of over 67 million that's not nearly enough.
We need your support to reach and impact even more people across the UK.