Tritax Big Box REIT : charity partner Schoolreaders launches ‘RACE FOR READING’ campaign, to address the ‘lockdown illiteracy surge’

07 Apr 2021

Schoolreaders, which places volunteers in primary schools to provide one-to-one reading sessions with children, is now needed more than ever, with one in ten primary schools in England asking for Schoolreaders support. The charity has also seen a huge rise in volunteer registration this year and hopes to be supporting more than 20,000 children with a one-to-one reading session each week.

Before the pandemic, one in four children was leaving primary school unable to read well and school closures have worsened the situation considerably, with disadvantaged children suffering the most. According to unpublished government figures reported in this weekend's Sunday Times, following the latest lockdown, this has increased to one in three children or more than 200,000 pupils who will now move from primary school to secondary school this autumn without being able to read properly. Schoolreaders is encouraging as many people as possible to sign up to the RACE FOR READING challenge and help make a world of difference to children's literacy.

Jane Whitbread, Founder of Schoolreaders comments: 'If a child leaves primary school not reading properly it has life-long negative consequences as they are unable to fully access their secondary education. Before the initial lockdown almost 13,000 children were receiving a one-to-one reading support session every week from a Schoolreaders volunteer, and our service is needed more than ever because so many children have fallen behind. Please join us by signing up to our RACE FOR READING campaign and help us to support thousands more children with their reading skills.'

Colin Godfrey - CEO, Fund Management, Tritax Big Box adds: 'We are delighted to sponsor RACE FOR READING 2021. Improving reading skills is key to bringing important social and economic benefits to the communities in which we own logistics buildings. As a partner to Schoolreaders charity, we have seen first-hand the extent to which they are playing an integral role in helping to achieve that, and improving the long-term prospects of many of the UK's most disadvantaged children.'

To find out more about the campaign, please visit www.raceforreading.org

*The Sunday Times - April 4th, 2021 - Boris Johnson fears lockdown illiteracy surge