For over a decade, the National Literacy Trust has worked in Bradford to support the literacy skills of thousands of children in local communities where patterns of intergenerational poverty and low literacy are impacting people’s lives.
Someone who we know has engaged with a vast number of Bradfordians over the past decade – whether that was from the iconic Bradford Stories Bus or as part of another unique, community-driven project - is Imran Hafeez who has been Manager of the National Literacy Trust in Bradford since we began working in the city in 2014.
In this article, Imran reflects on the last eleven years of the National Literacy Trust in Bradford and shares the team’s unique approach to mobilise the power of community, improve access to books and experiences, and celebrate stories and identities.
How it began in Bradford and where we are now
As someone who grew up in Bradford, I have witnessed first hand the challenges that children and families experience in our city. An exceptionally multilingual area, Bradford boasts an impressive roster of over 150 languages spoken in the district, which brings its own challenges and opportunities. Low literacy remains a common obstacle for many families and the links between poverty and low literacy in Bradford and across the UK are strong and intergenerational, but they are not inevitable.
When we first began examining the attitudinal challenges around literacy faced by children and young people in Bradford in 2015, fewer reported enjoying reading compared with the national average (48.1% vs. 55.0%). However, despite national declines in reading enjoyment, by 2024 this trend had reversed in schools we have worked with intensively where 42.1% of children and young people said they enjoyed reading compared with 34.6% nationally.
The contrast is even more pronounced in writing. In 2015, writing enjoyment levels in Bradford were broadly in line with the national figure (45.8% vs. 48.8%). By 2024, however, a greater percentage of children and young people in the schools we have supported reported enjoying writing than their peers across the country (36.4% vs. 28.7%).
Among the pupils in Bradford schools where we work most intensively 22% are more likely to visit their local library and 17% are more likely to read for pleasure compared to the national average.
What has our approach been in Bradford?
In order to facilitate change, we’ve focused our work in Bradford on encouraging writing through innovative poetry projects like the West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureate programme and the Goldsmiths’ 500 Writers Programme, improving school readiness by working with dads, and recruiting local community volunteers as Literacy Champions to improve access to books and literacy experiences.
Here's how…
Mobilising the power of community
In Bradford, we have always mobilised the power of community.
The National Literacy Trust’s Literacy Champions volunteer programme, which was born in Bradford in 2017, demonstrates our innovative approach to link trusted advocates from within communities with the children, young people and families on their doorstep to become literacy support anchors. Our first cohort of Literacy Champions came from a broad spectrum of society to reflect the diverse backgrounds of the community. Our volunteers included people from barber shops, youth and community centres, sports clubs, faith groups and cultural venues as well as businesses and local authors and poets. These trusted local people with an authentic voice were the foot soldiers in the fight against low literacy by successfully improving access to books, modelling positive reading behaviours and supporting literacy conversations. They gift books to children, create memorable experiences by sharing stories through the diverse languages spoken in Bradford and demonstrate the importance of bilingualism.
Improving access to books and experiences
In Bradford, we improve access to books and experiences by reaching people where they are, and working in trusted places and spaces.
We have come alongside groups of mums and dads in children’s centres, community settings and through mosque congregations to discuss their barriers to sharing books and stories, and how, together, we can overcome these. This process has allowed us to create more accessible and welcoming spaces and curate a diverse range of books and stories that cater for different literacy needs and interests, informed by the multilingual and diverse culture of Bradford communities.
One highlight includes our dads reading initiative where dads and their children took part in weekly story sharing and crafts activities that looked at modelling and having fun with stories and bringing them to life. This is the motivation which inspired the innovation of the Bradford stories bus. Once an American school bus, the Bradford Stories Bus has been transformed into an inspiring space for storytelling, reading, writing, and relaxing for children and families in Bradford. It is a space devoted to running literacy-themed events, all with the aim to inspire children to read and write for pleasure. This was an idea borne out of the pandemic as a means to stay connected with, and reach into, communities in isolation.
Now in its fourth year of operation the Bradford Stories Bus reaches tens of thousands of Bradford children and young people in schools and communities where the need for literacy support is greatest. It has become a recognisable beacon and features in festival and school programmes throughout the year.
As part of our collaboration with Morrisons, the Bradford Stories Bus will deliver a series of mini-festivals at Morrisons stores throughout the year, bringing creativity and literacy into high-footfall and everyday community spaces.
Over the years we have had the privilege of working with local and national authors to create a diverse tapestry of reading and story experiences to inspire the children and young people of Bradford. Coupled with a range of local poets whose sessions have shown that stories are like mirrors that reflect our own experiences and cultures and also windows through which we can look out and see the world.
This work is only possible through the sustained support of Arts Council England and the vision set out in the Let’s Create strategy.
Celebrating stories and identity
In Bradford, we celebrate stories and identity, creating opportunities for people to connect with creativity, celebrate their culture and identity, find their voice and champion the issues that matter to them.
Our writing programmes such as Young City Poets, West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureate and the Goldsmith’s 500 Writers programme help young people to find their voice through poetry and discover a sense of civic pride. Our writing programmes develop vital literacy skills by nurturing creativity and enjoyment, by supporting children in Bradford to connect with their identity and providing them with a real purpose and audience for their writing.
This year, we are enjoying having the national spotlight on our fair city of Bradford while it holds the title of UK City of Culture 2025. One of the centre pieces of our 2025 programme is Share Your Story, a campaign designed to inspire both avid and reluctant writers across Bradford.
Share Your Story gives young people both the skills and techniques to capture and then the platform to share their own stories. A year where we commit to gifting more books, creating more opportunities for engagement in memorable literacy experiences. Celebration of diverse stories, heritage and experience – unified by sharing and appreciating the myriad of stories that are rich and varied across Bradford communities.
There are many stories still to tell
Our commitment to the city of Bradford may have begun in 2014, grounded in a desire to make long-term and lasting impact by coming alongside local communities, understanding their needs and empowering children, families and teachers with the literacy skills they need to thrive. However, it will continue as we build relationships, see lasting impact and find innovative ways to share Bradford’s story.