What is One Million Stories by 2030?
One Million Stories by 2030 is Chapter One's long-term campaign to reach one million stories shared between volunteers and children since we launched in 2018. The count is cumulative.

The National Year of Reading 2026 is the moment we name the goal, celebrate how far we've come, and commit to what comes next. The campaign runs to 2030 and beyond, building community, sustaining momentum, and making our collective impact visible in real time.

How is the story count calculated?
In a typical 30-minute session, a volunteer shares two stories with a child. The campaign total is built from the real activity of real Chapter One volunteers since our launch in 2018 - each reading session generates stories that go into the campaign total. This is impact you can see growing.

How many stories have been shared so far?
As the campaign launches in late April 2026, since launching in 2018, Chapter One volunteers have collectively shared around 433,500 stories with children who need extra reading support. We are well on our way to hitting One Million Stories by 2030!

What is the National Year of Reading, and what does it mean for the campaign?
The National Year of Reading 2026 is a government-backed campaign to improve reading outcomes across the UK. Chapter One is a lead delivery partner, and has committed to recruiting 1,000 additional workplace volunteers during the year. One Million Stories is Chapter One's own long-term campaign - the National Year of Reading is a catalyst and a moment of national visibility, but One Million Stories runs beyond 2026, all the way to 2030.

What does a volunteer's contribution look like in practice?
Each week, a volunteer spends 30 minutes online with a child aged 5-8, typically sharing two stories per session (usually alongside other reading games and activities). Those sessions are what the campaign is built from. Every time a volunteer reads with a child, this is counted and adds to the collective total.

What's the impact on the children?
Only 1 in 3 children aged 8–18 enjoy reading - the lowest figure in 20 years. For children in communities facing disadvantage, the gap widens further. Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of future success, more so than parental income. One Million Stories is a long-term response to a long-term problem - the weekly sessions our volunteers provide make a real difference in building both the skill and the will in children who need that extra support.

In 2024–25, 88% of children on our Online Reading Volunteers Programme increased by at least one reading level over the course of the year, and 96% developed more positive attitudes towards reading. For many of the children Chapter One works with, their weekly volunteer is the only adult they regularly read with outside the classroom. In the same year, Chapter One partners collectively delivered £2,782 of measurable social impact per child.

Read our 2024-25 Impact Report.

How will the campaign track and celebrate progress?
Progress will be tracked in real time and we will share regular milestone updates across all our channels. This is designed to make collective impact visible - to partners, volunteers, and the wider public.

How can our organisation get more involved?
Whether that means recruiting more volunteers, deepening your strategic investment, or both, the National Year of Reading is the right moment to expand your commitment.

If you’re a volunteer, contact your Volunteer Coordinator to discuss how your organisation can go further.

If you’re a Volunteer Coordinator, contact your corporate partnerships contact, Anna Ansted or Roxanne Welch.

If you’re not yet a Chapter One corporate partner, and would like to explore joining us, contact Karen Price, our Business Development Manager, at karen.price@chapterone.org

How do I sign up as a volunteer?
Volunteers join through their employer. If your organisation is already a Chapter One partner, speak to your CSR or social impact team about how to sign up. The programme requires no previous experience - full training, DBS checks, and platform support are all provided. All sessions take place during the working day, online, with no travel required.

If your organisation is not already a Chapter One corporate partner and you’d like to find out how you can join us, reach out to Karen Price, our Business Development Manager at karen.price@chapterone.org.

When does the One Million Stories campaign end?
The campaign runs to 2030. The National Year of Reading 2026 is a significant moment within it, but One Million Stories is a sustained commitment.