Her Majesty The Queen visits The National Literacy Trust in Middlesbrough to celebrate how we are helping to “buck the trend” in the area with our reading for enjoyment programmes.
Hundreds of school children, their teachers and members of the community were joined by National Literacy Trust Patron, Her Majesty The Queen, and four high-profile children’s authors on Thursday 13 February 2025 to celebrate the impact our reading for enjoyment initiatives have had in the Middlesbrough community since 2013.
Research published by the National Literacy Trust in November 2024 revealed that just 1 in 3 (34.6%) children and young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK enjoyed reading in their free time.
Yet, in the high-priority schools where our charity works most intensively, including parts of Middlesbrough, 2 in 5 (41.8%) did.
Since 2013, The National Literacy Trust has been working in communities in Middlesbrough where patterns of intergenerational poverty and low literacy are impacting people’s lives. The work of our Middlesbrough team aims to inspire a lifelong love of reading in children so they can fulfil their potential, through reading programmes in schools, gifting books to families with the greatest need and organising events like the Big Boro Book Bash – an annual reading festival that brings almost a thousand children from schools in high priority areas who may not have books of their own at home, together with best-selling authors.
In over a decade of work in the town, the National Literacy Trust has reached over 120,000 children in Middlesbrough, gifting 200,000 books to families who need them most, including introducing the benefits of parental engagement, sharing stories and singing nursery rhymes to a child’s early language and communication development.
Following a workshop led by Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Nadia Shireen, James Harris and Jennifer Bell, Her Majesty awarded special certificates and pin badges to five children nominated by their schools for their achievements in reading for enjoyment over the past year. You can read more about one of these children, Skyla and discover how she developed a love of reading after taking part in the Little Big Book Club.
Her Majesty also met staff from the Neonatal unit at James Cook Hospital. The National Literacy Trust has been working with the unit since 2014 to support the families of children who are born prematurely, children like James. Every family on the ward is gifted a book bundle to help them bond with their child through reading and to empower families with the confidence, the tools and the skills to develop their child’s language, communication and literacy skills right from the very start. The programmes have supported 4,800 babies in neonatal intensive care units and over 17,000 in an ongoing way by Health Visitors.
At the event, Her Majesty, who first visited the National Literacy Trust in Middlesbrough in 2013, also greeted members of the community, Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO CBE, Chair of the Business Literacy Council and Chair of the Community Lottery Fund and, representatives from Arts Council England.
Having low literacy levels risks social and economic exclusion, yet many children in the UK lack essential reading, writing, and oracy skills. Those who fall behind by age five, face lifelong challenges, earning £5,300 less on average and costing the government £2,500 more in support. Poor literacy is also linked to health inequalities, higher crime rates, and reduced social mobility. Worryingly, reading enjoyment among 8- to 18-year-olds has dropped to its lowest level since 2005. Tackling literacy gaps is crucial to ensuring every child can thrive in education, work, and society.
“Against the backdrop of a national reading for pleasure crisis, through our place-based model in Middlesbrough, where we have been working since 2013, we are bucking the trend and have witnessed some incredibly positive change."
Jonathan Douglas CBE, CEO at the National Literacy Trust
Jonathan goes on to say:
“We have been at the forefront of tackling low literacy levels, empowering children and young people with the literacy skills they need to get the most out of life. We're so delighted to welcome our Patron, Her Majesty Queen Camilla here today to meet members of our wonderful community and celebrate all that has been achieved in Middlesbrough. It is crucially important we continue to reach these communities, so we can arrest the steep decline in children’s reading for pleasure and shortfalls in book ownership.”
Allison Potter, Manager of the National Literacy Trust in Middlesbrough, said:
“Middlesbrough is one of the most disadvantaged parts of our country with almost 40% of children living in poverty. We have been working here alongside foodbanks and football clubs, care homes and cafes, with our partners and schools, since 2013, providing vital literacy support for those who need it most and have seen, first-hand, the impact on these children who have had the opportunity to read for pleasure. They are happier, they are focussed and engaged. They develop empathy and compassion, and they share this with those around them.”
Promoting reading for enjoyment is the heartbeat of our school and we are incredibly grateful for how the National Literacy Trust has helped us through a variety of initiatives."
Catherine Steele-Brewer, deputy headteacher at Beech Grove Primary School
Catherine Steele-Brewer, deputy headteacher at Beech Grove Primary School, said:
“Many of our children live in poverty and have very few books at home. Promoting reading for enjoyment is the heartbeat of our school and we are incredibly grateful for how the National Literacy Trust has helped us through a variety of initiatives. I am incredibly proud to say that due to its support and the drive of our amazing staff to promote reading for pleasure, we have received a Reading for Pleasure award through the UK Libraries Association, our Year 6 outcomes are significantly above national average and our disadvantaged children perform exceptionally well. We are passionate that every child leaves our school as a lifelong reader with the skills to unlock future learning, succeed and be happy.”
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate 2024 - 2026: said:
"We need to have a national conversation about the role books and reading can play in transforming children’s lives right from their earliest years, building on the compelling evidence showing that reading for pleasure improves life-chances, as well as highlighting the ‘crisis point’ facing the millions of children now living in poverty. Reading for enjoyment is crucial for mental wellbeing, happiness and academic success. Here in Middlesbrough, children and their families have access to books, reading and the very real potential for a bright future, and this is making a huge difference. Every child deserves the chance to fall in love with reading."
Shannon Cullen, Publishing Director, at Walker Books, said:
“Walker Books is proud to have a longstanding partnership with the National Literacy Trust in Middlesbrough, working together to bring books to the hands, homes and schools of as many children as possible. Reading for enjoyment brings not only positive wellbeing and connectivity, but increases life chances and builds empathy and confidence, so as a dedicated children’s publisher, we are rewarded by supporting this work in areas where books have the chance to truly transform lives. Alongside our literacy work, we are honoured to have supported the neonatal unit at James Cook University Hospital over many years, providing Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram to support families through intensely challenging times. As we celebrate thirty years of Guess, we reaffirm our commitment to providing this meaningful support to families through the power of books.”
Adele Parks, author and National Literacy Trust Ambassador, said:
“In Middlesbrough, the National Literacy Trust works with families at the earliest stage of a child’s life, equipping parents with the confidence and tools they need to build a language rich and play-filled home. The charity is with parents in neonatal wards through reading initiatives, and at home with resources and advice to develop their children’s vital early language and communication skills. It’s a joy to see children and their families have these opportunities.” You can read more from Adele as she reflects on the impact our work in Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough is one of the National Literacy Trust’s 20 literacy hubs where the charity supports children throughout their time at school, working alongside teachers, libraries and the wider community in this mission. It works to ensure that every child discovers the joy and opportunities that reading, writing and speaking bring.
The National Literacy Trust is committing, over the next three years, to directly supporting and empowering 1.5 million more children and young people in the communities where it works, including throughout Middlesbrough, to read for pleasure and develop greater confidence in their reading skills.