We have today launched our new Close the Gap campaign, aimed at closing the literacy gap once and for all - and we need your help.
Children from the poorest backgrounds shouldn’t have their potential cut short before their lives have even really begun. Yet, on average, they will start school 19 months behind their peers.
Children who have fallen behind at this first stage of their education:
- five times more likely to fail to meet the expected standards in English at age 11
- four times more likely to struggle to read as adults
- twice as likely to be unemployed aged 34
- three times more likely to have mental health problems as adults
Our work has made progress. In the past six years, we have gifted more than 340,000 books to children and young people who need them most. Owning books makes a real difference to children’s achievement – those who own books are six times more likely to read above the level expected for their age.
Our work to distribute these books is making a difference. Our research shows that while disadvantaged children are still more likely than their peers to not own books, this gap has halved in the past six years.
Through the Close the Gap campaign we want to raise money to close this gap further.
How you can support this campaign?
Donate online today or text 'CLOSETHEGAP' to 70085 to donate £7. This costs £7 plus a std rate message.
By donating any of the following amounts you will help even the playing field and make sure no child has to sacrifice their aspirations, achievements and health in later life due to a lack of literacy skills:
- £7 could gift a child their very first book to take home and keep forever
- £15 could fund a teenager to attend a literacy skills workshop that will help them get a job when they leave school
- £45 could cover the cost of one primary school child to take part in our Young Readers Programme and give them three books of their own to keep
- £100 could give five families from deprived communities the skills and support they need to help develop their children’s reading through our Early Words Together Programme
- £650 could gift a Literacy Toolkit to a local primary school or community group
Other ways to support the campaign
Share our post on Twitter by clicking this link.
There are also many other alternative ways for you to support the campaign including running your own charity quiz, raising money for a charity challenge or many more ideas in our fundraising toolkit.