The effects are starker still for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Over a third of 11-year-olds from low-income families leave primary school unable to read to the expected standard. When children struggle to read, the ripple effects follow them far beyond the classroom. Low literacy limits confidence, wellbeing and future prospects. It also costs the UK economy an estimated £81bn a year. Yet none of this need be inevitable – and charity volunteers are discovering that by offering up just half an hour a week, they can change a child’s story.
The National Year of Reading 2026, led by the National Literacy Trust, is a nationwide invitation to us all to make reading part of life again. Increasingly, it’s volunteers – the ones who show up, week after week, who are making that happen.
Many of the children supported by these charities have no one at home to read with. Some are among the one in five children who own no books at all. A weekly reading session with a volunteer – calm, friendly and judgement-free – can quietly transform a child’s confidence and future. It offers consistency, attention and encouragement. As important, it redefines reading as something enjoyable, personal and fun.
And here’s the best part. Volunteering today has never been easier or more flexible. Half an hour during a lunch break, a slot after the school run or joining an employer-supported scheme is all it takes. No teaching experience is required, no lengthy travel. Just curiosity, kindness and a commitment to show up. Volunteers often talk about the unexpected pleasure of watching a child’s reading confidence grow or of a shared giggle over a story.
Yes, volunteering to read online is not all rosy. Some children may be cripplingly shy. Technology may misbehave. But persistence pays off, and it’s the turning up that makes a lasting difference. For many volunteers, it becomes the highlight of their week.
If you’re keen to help tackle the literacy crisis, two of the UK’s most forward-thinking literacy charities offer easy ways to become a reading volunteer.
Bookmark Reading Charity
If you’ve passed through a London Tube station recently, you may have spotted posters urging commuters to Mind the Gap. Bookmark Reading Charity has borrowed the familiar phrase to highlight a more troubling divide: the UK’s widening literacy gap. As part of the National Year of Reading, their plea is simple – don’t just notice the gap, help close it.
Bookmark is a UK-focused, tech-savvy charity. It combines high profile campaigning with action, working directly with primary schools and community groups in disadvantaged areas where children face the greatest barriers to reading. Its programmes focus on one-to-one reading support and whole-school initiatives that place reading for pleasure firmly at the centre.
Volunteers are crucial to their work. Bookmark trains individuals, young people and corporate teams to read regularly with children, either online or face-to-face. Their aim is not simply to improve scores, but to create relaxed, enjoyable reading sessions that allow children to leave primary school with curiosity and a genuine enjoyment of books.
Since 2018, when a small group of their volunteers supported three Camden schools, Bookmark has delivered more than 125,000 one-to-one reading sessions, alongside distributing thousands of books and literacy resources nationwide. Bookmark’s work has caught the eye of well-funded supporters, including the Inflexion Foundation, which has pledged £100,000 a year over three years – quite the boost that will help the charity reach even more children and spread the joy of reading.
How to get involved:
Volunteer solo or through your workplace. Choose online or in-school sessions, depending on what suits you. Most volunteers give around one hour a week, often split into two 30-minute sessions. Small commitment, serious impact.
Register to volunteer here.
Chapter One
‘It takes a village to raise a reader’ is the guiding principle behind Chapter One, an international literacy charity now supporting nearly 3,000 children across the UK. As lead partner for the National Year of Reading 2026, Chapter One is committing to recruit 1,000 new online reading volunteers as part of its new Go All In campaign.
Their model is delightfully simple. Businesses sponsor employees to spend 30 minutes a week reading online with the same child using a secure audio-only platform (no video) during school hours. There’s no travel, full training is provided and the commitment fits neatly into even the busiest work diaries. It’s an easy way for a company to make volunteering part of its culture, combining employee engagement with social value goals.
Volunteers develop skills – communication, patience and adaptability – while gaining a real sense of purpose. More importantly, the children benefit, building in confidence, improving reading fluency and enjoying the consistency of a dependable adult.
The programme works at any scale, whether a company puts forward five volunteers or fifty, making it an easy win to embed meaningful volunteering across the organisation.
How to get involved:
Encourage your workplace to be part of the literacy solution. Ask your employer to sponsor volunteers. Thirty minutes a week could change a child’s future.
Reach out to Sarah Taylor the Business Development Manager at [email protected].