This April I’ll be taking on the challenge of The London Landmarks Half Marathon on behalf of the National Literacy Trust.

1 in 10 children and young people aged 5 to 18 say they do not have a single book of their own. This statistic increases to 1 in 8 in areas of high poverty. In addition to this, both children’s reading and writing enjoyment has recently hit the lowest level that the National Literacy Trust has ever recorded.

The National Literacy Trust works to combat this by aiding individuals to develop their literacy skills that they need to succeed in the world, as well as widening access to books (and literacy), and also supporting teachers and practitioners.

From my own experience I strongly believe that having strong literacy skills is transformative for one’s confidence. To be able to read and listen enables us to relate and feel understood. To be able to write and speak provides us with the opportunity to express and advocate for ourselves.

I hope you consider making even a small donation to this important cause and/or sharing this page.

According to the National Literacy Trust this is what your donation could do:

- £7 could pay for a child to choose books to keep, start to enjoy reading and gain in confidence and skills

- £15 could fund a teenager to attend workshops that will help them get a job when they leave school

- £50 could help families; supporting their literacy and breaking the cycle of disadvantage