Photo courtesy of L'Arche Kent, who supported the Word in your Hand Book Club at Canterbury Library to take part in Reading Ahead.

One in six people struggles to read. However, research shows that when we inspire people to read for pleasure they benefit from far greater opportunities in everyday life, education and employment. Reading Ahead is the gateway to these opportunities. Because everything changes when we read.

Reading Ahead supports young people and adults by changing their perception of reading, opening up opportunities and building their confidence.

Run through public libraries, adult learning organisations, colleges, workplaces and prisons, Reading Ahead invites participants to pick six reads and record, rate and review them in a diary in order to get a certificate. The programme isn't just about books - it's about newspapers, magazines and websites too. The aim is that participants challenge themselves to try someting new and discover that reading can be a pleasure in the process.

Launched in 2008, Reading Ahead is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. The main activity for Reading Ahead 2017-18 runs through to June 2018 when those who complete their reading diaries can enter a national prize draw to win some great new prizes - the chance to have their name in a new book by bestselling crime author Ann Cleeves and book tokens for ten runners-up - while organisations can win an author event. Anyone taking part can also use our website for participants to share their thoughts about what they read, enter competitions and find out more about the programme.

Around 100 prisons across the UK take part in Reading Ahead each year. We are very grateful to the charity Give a Book which provides us with free pocket dictionaries and spelling and writing guides for prisoners who complete their reading diaries.

Reading Ahead facts

• Reading Ahead has reached more than 275,000 people over ten years.
• Survey respondents say it boosts their reading confidence
• The programme is designed to help people improve their reading skills and develop a love of reading.

Get involved

If you'd like to take part in Reading Ahead or run it in your organisation, get in touch to find out more.

You can order materials from our shop to run Reading Ahead in your organisation.

Visit our resources database for guidance and templates to run the programme and see our case studies for further ideas and evidence of impact.