On Thursday 17 July, we attended the National Youth Libraries Board at the Arts Council Offices in London. We were there to showcase the findings from the past three years of the Big Lottery Funded Reading Activists programme.

Reading Activists told their story

We were thrilled to be have three Reading Activists to accompany us to the meeting, Reading Activist of the Year, Jade from Warrington and Molly and Mariam from Gateshead. Molly gave a heartwarming speech, in which she told her Reading Activist story. Here are some highlights:

"I'm here for the family feeling and of course the reading and library element. Being a Reading Activist has changed my life as back in my early stages of being a Reading Activist I was a very lonely person with few friend and few things to look forward to."

"Being a Reading Activist isn't just about putting on a show, it's about the experience that we have gained and the people we have met and the memories we have shared."

We were very excited and proud to be able to report that we've had a grand total of 8,677 Reading Activists and a whopping 3,218 youth-led events.

And what do the young people say about it all? Well, 85% said they were using the library more. 71% are now enjoy reading more and 86% have gained new skills.

A big thank you to Jade, Molly and Mariam and to all the Reading Activists out there who have made this project a success.

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Interested in building your CV through volunteering or like the idea of meeting new friends whilst helping out at your local library? Find out more about Reading Activists and what you can do for yourself and for your local community.