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Every child deserves equal access to books.

The gap is widening

The disadvantage gap in children's reading enjoyment more than doubled in just one year.

WHY THIS MATTERS

1 in 6


children receiving Free School Meals don't have a book of their own at home.

EVERY CHILD DESERVES ACCESS

1,800+ schools


have already asked us for help getting books into the hands of children who need them.

HELP US REACH THEM

The problem

Access to books should not depend on where a child grows up.

Books can open new worlds, build confidence, spark imagination and create opportunities. But access to them is not equal. Almost one in three children in the UK is growing up in poverty. One in ten children and young people do not have a book of their own at home; among children receiving free school meals, this rises to almost one in six. For some children, school offers the greatest opportunity to discover a wide and exciting choice of books. Yet many schools serving communities facing the greatest disadvantage do not have the resources to provide the books their pupils need. This is not simply a literacy problem. It is an opportunity problem.

Access matters

Give a child access to books and you give them the opportunity to become a reader. Children who own a book are almost four times more likely to read above the expected level for their age and more than three times as likely to read every day. The evidence demonstrates an important relationship: access matters. If we want to give every child the opportunity to read, enjoy stories and become a reader, making books accessible must be part of the answer.

The unmet demand

The demand is already there. The resources are not. More than 1,800 schools have already approached LoveReading for help to access books. They want to build and restore libraries, refresh tired book collections, provide inclusive and representative books, support reading for pleasure and give children the opportunity to choose books for themselves. This is not a theoretical need. These are real schools asking for help now. We do not need to find the schools. They are already asking us for help.

What we do

We turn funding into books, reading opportunities and measurable impact. The LoveReading Foundation directs charitable funding towards schools and communities where access to books is especially limited. Our work will include: School library grants, New and refreshed book collections, Reading-for-pleasure initiatives, Inclusive and SEND-focused book provision, Targeted support for schools and communities facing disadvantage, Opportunities for children to choose, explore and enjoy books, Our immediate intervention is books. Our wider ambition is to create lifelong readers and expand children’s opportunities.

Why The LoveReading Foundation?

A new charity, supported by established national infrastructure.

The LoveReading Foundation builds on LoveReading’s long-standing relationships with schools, teachers, publishers and the wider book industry.

LoveReading already has:

  • Relationships with more than 14,000 schools.
  • A community of more than 22,000 education practitioners.
  • A combined subscriber community of approximately 250,000 people.
  • Around 2.3 million users each year.
  • Established technology and fulfilment capability.
  • More than 1,800 schools already seeking support.
  • A track record of generating more than £130,000 in books and support for schools.

The need exists. Schools are asking for help. The infrastructure already exists to reach them.

With the right partners, we can connect the two.

Help put books within more children’s reach

Whether you are a business, funder, publisher or individual supporter, you can help turn identified need into books and reading opportunities for children.

Your organisation could support:

  • An individual school.
  • A group of schools or local community.
  • A larger regional or strategic programme.

We will work with partners to create tangible, measurable support showing how funding is translated into books, schools supported and children reached.

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WHAT WE DO

We put books where they can make the biggest difference

Access
to books

Getting brilliant books into the hands of children who need them most.

Support for
schools

Helping schools build inspiring, inclusive reading collections.

Reading for pleasure

Giving every child the opportunity to discover books they genuinely love.

Lasting
impact

Building reading habits, confidence and opportunity that extend far beyond the bookshelf.

There are so many ways you can help

Donate

Help us provide books and resources to schools and children with disadvantage.

Support a school

Help us respond to the schools asking for support and get brilliant books into children's hands.

Fundraise for us

From readathons and sponsored challenges to birthdays and community events, turn something you love into books for children.

Partner with us

Put reading and opportunity at the heart of your organisation's social impact.

Get your workplace involved

Employee giving, payroll giving, matched funding and team fundraising can make your support go even further.

Spread the word

Help more people discover our work by sharing our campaigns and championing every child's right to access books.