5 December 2019 

We are delighted to announce that this December the i newspaper is pledging its support to Coram Beanstalk by launching a new Christmas appeal to help raise much-needed funds, ensuring that more children across the UK receive one-to-one reading support on a regular basis and have the opportunity to become confident and lifelong readers.

Donate to the i Christmas appeal

Last year approximately one in four children left primary school without the reading skills they needed for the next stage of their education. This can have serious consequences, holding them back in life and limiting their future prospects.

Donating to the i's campaign will help Coram Beanstalk train more volunteers for schools in need of reading helpers across the country. It will also help put more brilliant books in to schools, books that will be used by Coram Beanstalk volunteers to share with the children they support. Donations will also help Coram Beanstalk put on more author events in schools for children to benefit from – we know that meeting authors can be incredibly powerful in engaging children in books and storytelling.

Ginny Lunn, Managing Director at Coram Beanstalk:

It is simply unacceptable for children’s life chances to be limited because of poor literacy. All children should have every opportunity to read well, to help them access learning at school and at home, to widen their vocabulary and understanding. Beyond this, we want children to enjoy reading. We need children to feel positive about reading, to have access to books and to have opportunities to share books with an adult and to chat about a range of topics and issues. Children who read well have the foundation to thrive.

Donating just £5 can help purchase one of the brilliant books in Coram Beanstalk's engagement packs - these are provided to schools where Coram Beanstalk reading helpers support children and are used to engage them in reading through a variety of fun ways. Just £22 can help provide one term's worth of reading support to a children in a primary school who needs extra support and encourage on a regular basis. 

Earlier this year the i ran a campaign to help Coram Beanstalk recruit more volunteers across the country resulting is an incredible response from readers. Over 50 reading helpers have been trained and have been either placed in a school or soon will be – that’s 150 more children who will get special one-to-one reading support and encouragement on a regular basis over the next academic year.

Jill Pay is Coram Beanstalk's Chairman of Trustees and a reading helper:

This model works because we measure the progress the children make with reading, understanding, growing in confidence and self-belief - and developing a love of books.  Our impact tells the story. Please help us to help more children receive this great gift of reading. A book is for Christmas, the gift of reading is for life.

Donate to the i Christmas appeal