About the charity
The National Literacy Trust works to improve the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in the UK's most disadvantaged communities, where one in three people have low levels of literacy.
It is estimated that over 200,000 children left primary school last summer struggling with literacy, an increase of 30,000 on the previous year. This is a direct result of the disruption to learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This will have a disproportionate impact on children in Manchester, which has some of the highest levels of intergenerational poverty and low literacy in the UK. While all children have suffered a learning loss, the pandemic has had a devastating impact on children from the most disadvantaged communities. Whilst enduring lockdown, many of these children lived without enough food, let alone books, laptops and space to learn.
Read Manchester is led in partnership with Manchester City Council and engages local families with books and stories, and inspires them to make reading a priority in their everyday lives. With a focus on the area of Wythenshawe, we work with children and young people as they reach each milestone in their education, helping to end the vicious cycle of illiteracy.
How you can help
Literacy Recovery - Covid impact appeal
Help us ensure 230,000 children do not fall further behind. This is an urgent appeal to support Literacy Recovery of children and young people in our most disadvantaged communities.
Join The Next Chapter
Become a member of The Next Chapter and help transform the life stories of disadvantaged children in the UK. Just £10 per week will help give children from some of the poorest communities in the UK the literacy skills they need to succeed in life.
