The National Year of Reading 2026 is a Department for Education initiative and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform children's literacy. As the campaign's lead partner for workplace volunteering, Chapter One is stepping up to the moment by committing to recruit 1,000 additional reading volunteers this year - and we're calling on organisations across the UK to join us.

The statistics are stark: just 1 in 3 children aged 8-18 enjoy reading – the lowest in 20 years. But here's what we know – it truly takes a village to raise a reader, and reading for pleasure is more directly correlated with academic success than even parental income. Our volunteers act as crucial reading influencers in children's lives, providing weekly one-to-one support that builds confidence and skills and sparks joy in reading. For many of the children we work with, who live in communities facing disadvantage, our volunteers are the only adults they regularly read with outside the classroom.

Whether you're already working with Chapter One or exploring partnership for the first time, there are two powerful pathways your organisation can take to make an impact:

Pathway 1: Scale Volunteer Impact Through Employee Engagement

This is about more than reading levels. Recent research from the National Literacy Trust and KPMG shows that reading for pleasure in childhood develops exactly the skills our future workforce needs - adaptability, critical thinking, and a lifelong learning mindset. In our digital-first world, these capabilities are essential.

Just 30 minutes a week transforms a child's confidence and love of reading.

• Interested in joining us as a corporate partner? Our workplace volunteering model is designed for teams of 10 employees, with each volunteer committing to 30 minutes weekly. We work with you to establish a programme that fits your organisation, with a cost per team that covers training, DBS checks, platform access and development, impact data and ongoing support. Get in touch to discuss how we can tailor this to your business.
  
  

• Already one one of our partners? Are you ready to reinvigorate your commitment or expand your volunteer numbers? The National Year of Reading provides the perfect momentum to mobilise more of your workforce and deepen your impact.

What makes our Online Reading Volunteers Programme work:

• UK's largest, award-winning, virtual reading programme

• 30 minutes weekly commitment per volunteer

• Full training and ongoing support provided

• Focussed on regions of deprivation

• Proven impact on children facing disadvantage

Pathway 2: Champion Our Work Through Strategic Support

Beyond volunteering, there are many ways to support our National Year of Reading ambitions. Whether through strategic investment, pro bono expertise, or leveraging your networks, every contribution helps us reach more children.

Strategic Investment Opportunities

Invest in scaling our digital platform
Seize the National Year of Reading momentum by helping us scale our programmes, including our new Book Club Programme for reluctant readers aged 8-10. Your investment will enhance our platform to recruit and operate at scale, making it seamless for volunteers to connect with young readers who need them most.

Global Free Library development project
Help us develop our Global Free Library by commissioning engaging, age- and skill-appropriate stories with contemporary artwork, refresh existing content, and develop career-themed stories. Perfectly timed for the National Year of Reading, these stories will inspire children on our platform whilst reaching families worldwide through our Global Free Library - multiplying our impact far beyond the classroom.

Early Literacy Intervention Programme
Help fund our ELI Programme which provides one-to-one, 7-minute phonics sessions for children in Reception and Year 1 who are not on track with whole class phonics teaching. Using bespoke technology, trained interventionists work individually with target children to help them keep up.

Sponsor a story
Fund an engaging new story that will inspire thousands of children to develop fluency, comprehension and reading enjoyment. You could even run an internal story competition for your employees to create a text that we'll get illustrated! Stories live on our reading platform and Global Free Library, creating a lasting legacy.

Essential equipment
The success of our Online Reading Volunteers Programme depends on robust equipment to withstand daily use by hundreds of children.

Child impact stories
Sponsor special National Year of Reading child impact stories, charting reading journeys, attainment and skills development throughout 2026.

Other Ways to Champion Our Work

Corporate fundraising
Help us reach even more children by fundraising in the workplace. We have a themed Corporate Fundraising Pack full of fun activities perfect for workplace fundraising throughout the year. If your organisation offers matched funding opportunities, you could double the impact.

Payroll Giving
Support Chapter One through monthly payroll giving. Because donations are taken pre-tax, a £10 donation only costs £8 from take-home pay - we reclaim the remaining £2 through Gift Aid from HMRC.

Pro bono support
Share your expertise in marketing, communications, AI implementation, IT collaboration (as a fully remote workforce), or strategic management to help us maximise the benefits of our National Year of Reading engagement.

Increasing awareness
Raise awareness of Chapter One amongst your stakeholders to encourage further support. You could host a social media takeover day, introduce us to business influencers or journalists, invite our CEO on your business podcast, or fund the production of a Chapter One promotional video.

Networks and connections
Do you have connections to other organisations in your supply chain or within professional networking circles that could help our ambitious plans for 2026? With a personal or professional connection building trust and credibility, you could open doors to new potential partners and supporters. You could even host a Reading Champions event, convening other businesses to join the movement.

Ready to meet the moment?

There’s no sitting this one out. Let's talk.

Contact our corporate partnerships team to discuss how your organisation can help transform children's futures through reading.

For potential partners:

Sarah Taylor, Business Development Manager: sarah.taylor@chapterone.org

Karen Price, Business Development Officer: karen.price@chapterone.org

For current partners:

Roxanne Welch, Corporate Partnerships Manager: roxanne.welch@chapterone.org