The Reading Agency

UK charity with a mission to empower people of all ages to read.

In the UK…

• 1 in 6 (8.5 million) adults struggle to read
• 1 in 4 children in England cannot read well by the age of 11

This limits life chances and choices. Our work is changing this. Reading for pleasure and empowerment makes us more aware and informed. It helps us grow our imaginations. It makes us more empathetic and understanding of other people and cultures. It supports our health and wellbeing. It increases our ability to learn new skills. It helps us to communicate our ideas more effectively. It opens doors. It brings joy.

We know that not everyone has an equal start in life, so we champion the proven power of reading by providing activities for all ages and backgrounds. We support readers to create social connections and improve their reading skills. We help people manage their health and wellbeing through reading.

Working with public libraries, prisons, hospitals and other community settings, last year our wide range of activities touched the lives of two million people. But with a UK population of over 67 million that isn’t nearly enough. We want to get more people fired up about reading, because everything changes when you read.

Get in touch today to find out more about what we do and to help us on our mission.