A call to local government leadership
This is the National Year of Reading, a Department for Education initiative, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust, that is a partnership movement of national, regional and local organisations.
For elected local authority members, it’s an opportunity to highlight and increase support for reading, learning and community wellbeing.
We need this because levels of reading for pleasure are at an all-time low. The impact of this decline is far-reaching, affecting children’s development, language and critical-thinking skills, and contributing to social and economic inequalities.
The campaign aims to address the decline, with an ambition to reconnect people of all ages with reading in all its forms as part of their everyday life.
Throughout 2026, with the support of literacy partners such as BookTrust and The Reading Agency, schools, early years settings, prisons and library services will be supported with simple ways to take part, whether through a year-long approach or individual activities.
Libraries, community groups, cultural services and youth organisations will play a central role, using campaign toolkits and materials to promote reading.
Councils are ideally placed to convene these partners with a coordinated offer for all residents, and I’m asking you to look at ways to bring partners together around reading in 2026.
As a councillor I have made promoting reading a personal mission during my time in Middlesbrough.
“Improved literacy is closely linked with better educational outcomes and life chances”
We have started a programme of reading sheds in local schools and 2026 will see Middlesbrough have its own reading festival.
There is so much that we can do at ward level in our communities and in our wider roles – community book sheds, mini-travelling libraries, book hunts and more.
I encourage elected members to spread the word to schools, libraries and community groups you know well.
Community initiatives work best when co-designed with the people they serve and councillors are uniquely placed to make that collaboration happen.
Supporting the National Year of Reading brings a wide range of benefits because improved literacy is closely linked with better educational outcomes and life chances.
Reading also builds empathy and social connection, and can strengthen inter-generational relationships, as well as support wellbeing.
At a community level, the simple act of encouraging reading can build a culture of learning, pride and shared identity, along with increasing footfall in libraries and community spaces, contributing to the vitality of our local cultural life.
As representatives of your local areas, you can help shape this national moment and ensure that your communities feel the full benefit.
By endorsing the National Year of Reading, getting your council to complete an online pledge outlining what you’ll be doing, encouraging participation and promoting activity across local services, you can help create a legacy for your communities that lasts long beyond 2026.
The National Year of Reading is an invitation to every council and councillor to celebrate stories, strengthen literacy and inspire a new generation of readers. Your leadership will be essential in making that ambition a reality.
You can find out more about the initiative online at www.goallin.org.uk.