National Literacy Trust - Campaigning Work

Campaigning Work

The National Literacy Trust campaigns to improve public understanding of the vital importance and impact of literacy. The Manifesto for Literacy, developed in consultation with over 30 national organisations and launched in September 2009, called on all political parties to prioritise literacy in the run-up to the 2010 election. Developed in consultation with over 20 national organisations, the manifesto shows how poor literacy in the UK creates barriers to achievement, undermines a skill-based economy and causes acute social and cultural problems that divide communities. The manifesto makes specific recommendations for government to develop literacy support for families, to modernise literacy in the curriculum and to run a national campaign taking literacy to new audiences.

The Words for Life campaign gets parents involved with their children’s communication and literacy development and gives them confidence to feel they can make a positive difference. It is aimed at parents of children aged from birth to eleven.

This campaign continues the work the National Literacy Trust and its partners undertook for the 2008 National Year of Reading, a year-long celebration of reading, designed to promote reading in the family and beyond, and to help build a nation of readers. Its purpose was to encourage reading for pleasure in order to improve learning, achievement and individual prospects. The campaign aimed both to attract new audiences to reading and to develop existing skills. It targeted specific sections of the population including families from lower income/ non-professional/ households on benefits, Bangladeshi and Pakistani children and adults with literacy needs.

The campaign reached 13 million people and 2.3 million new library members were recruited through the first ever national promotion of library membership.

In December 2010 the National Literacy Trust launched its gift of reading campaign, which, like other ethical gifts, encourages individuals to make a donation on behalf of another in place of a Christmas present. Tapping into the fact that approximately one in four children in the UK do not have books of their own, the National Literacy Trust asks that donors give so that they can continue to provide disadvantaged children with free books, as well as carry out their other functions. In return the donor, or their nominated recipient, is sent an exclusive Gruffalo Christmas cards, as designed by Axel Scheffler, and courtesy of Macmillan Children’s Books.