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Charities support BBC campaign to improve literacy

Tara DolbyBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
News imageTara Dolby/BBC A baby and two women look at a picture book together in a library. The two women are looking at the baby. There are rows of books on bookshelves behind the trio. Tara Dolby/BBC
Page Turners, which has been launched on BBC Three Counties Radio, supports child and adult literacy

Charities have welcomed the launch of a BBC campaign to champion groups and organisations that support child and adult literacy.

One in four children in England do not meet the expected standard in reading by the time they leave primary school, according to figures from the Department for Education.

School Readers, which provides free one-to-one reading support for children in primary schools across the UK, has backed Page Turners, launched by BBC Three Counties Radio.

The project has coincided with the National Year of Reading 2026 by the National Literacy Trust, which suggested children who enjoy reading and writing were happier with their lives.

News imageTara Dolby/BBC Marvis Nicholson and Izzy Perks both smile at the camera as they stand side-by-side. Nicholson is wearing a green polo neck jumper, with glasses and has grey hair. Perks has long brown hair and is a wearing a grey blouse. They both have white lanyards around their necks. Behind them is a board of children's artwork. Tara Dolby/BBC
Mavis Nicholson has been volunteering for School Readers for 10 years and has urged others to get involved

School Readers, which began in Bedford in 2013, provides free one-to-one reading support sessions to 35,000 children each week.

Izzy Perks, the charity's communications and marketing manager, said the benefits of reading support for children last a lifetime.

"We're always looking for more volunteers as we can see how transformational it is for the children," she added.

Perks said School Readers hoped Page Turners would encourage people to get involved with the charity and volunteer their time.

Marvis Nicholson, 83, who has been a volunteer at School Readers for 10 years, said: "I wish more people would volunteer, I believe every child should be able to read well and enjoy books."

A government skills survey in 2023 found that one in six adults in England were classed as functionally illiterate, which meant they could not read a medicine packet, a bus timetable or fill in a job application.

News imageTara Dolby/BBC Two smiling woman stood behind a table covered in children's books. One is wearing a black jumper and white apron. The other woman is wearing a blue jumper and white headscarf. Tara Dolby/BBC
St Albans Community Pantry provide free books for children at the Cottonmill Community and Cycle Centre on Thursdays

The St Albans Community Pantry in Hertfordshire runs regular sessions to offer free books for children to support literacy levels.

Raihaanah Ahmed, the group's founder, said in areas where there was no local library and with "resources stretched at schools", the organisation wanted to make sure that children still have access to free books.

"We asked local people and organisations to see if they could help. We're now able to provide books that cover all bases: fictional, practical and across all age ranges," she said.

Ahmed added that Page Turners was a "great idea" and hoped the campaign would encourage people to read more and to share books they no longer need.

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