In January 2026, I’ll be taking part in the Arctic Challenge for the National Literacy Trust. This involves 4 days in the wilderness of northern Sweden, undertaking challenges like hiking, orienteering and dog sled racing in the middle of arctic winter.

Why am I risking frostbite you ask? Partly because I love a physical challenge and clearly subjecting myself to the London marathon in April wasn’t enough. Apparently I need to once again risk my toes - but this time in near constant darkness and below zero temperatures - in order for it to really count, but also because this is a cause that genuinely means a lot to me.

On average, children from the poorest backgrounds start school 19 months behind their more privileged peers, and children without the expected literacy skills are held back at every stage of their lives. They are:

- Five times more likely to fail to meet the expected standards of English at age 11.

- Four times more likely to be unemployed aged 34.

- Three times more likely to have mental health problems as adults.

As someone who’s career and personal life is dominated by a love of books and reading, I experience the joy, escapism and education reading for pleasure can bring, but I also understand that not being provided opportunities to gain a good level of literacy can impact much more than extracurricular enjoyment.

This is where the National Literacy Trust comes in. They do so much for our disadvantaged communities in their efforts to change this narrative, some of which includes:

- Setting up creative and innovative literacy programs in schools.

- Distributing free books in communities around the country where as many as 1 in 8 children do not have a book of their own at home.

- Training teachers and librarians to entrench literacy into every subject at school and inspire a love of reading.

If you are able to donate, thank you so much for your support. I appreciate these are hard times for a lot of us, but I promise I’ll make it worth your while with photo evidence of me suffering in the cold after the event is complete (you sadists), and you’ll genuinely be making a difference in children’s lives, not just for now, but for their futures too.