With the help of the Society of Authors (SoA), Coram Beanstalk hopes to recruit 250 extra volunteers during the National Year of Reading 2026. This will enable it to provide one-to-one reading support in primary schools for an additional 1,000 children.
Award-winning children’s author and SoA member Rashmi Sirdeshpande is joining Coram Beanstalk as a new ambassador and supports the appeal. This morning she visited Edward Wilson Primary School in West London to launch the campaign.
Rashmi delivered a session for Year Three and Four children, encouraging them to find the books they love and to explore their interests through reading. She also shared some of her own work.
Rashmi said:
“Reading has such a huge impact on wellbeing and future life chances for children and I’ve long admired the important work that Coram Beanstalk are doing in this space, inspiring a love of reading and making books feel accessible and irresistible. I’m very excited (and honoured) to support them as an ambassador.”
One child who attended the session said:
“It was really interesting and fun because Rashmi told us a lot about books. One fact I remember is you can write anything you want, even non-fiction.”
Coram Beanstalk was established in 1973 to offer reading support in London primary schools. It now delivers its programme in around 500 primary schools across England, providing trained volunteers who work alongside children to help them discover books that inspire and delight.
Edward Wilson Primary School is one of the latest to join this network of schools and it already has two reading volunteers ready to get started.
The school’s headteacher, Katy Lawrence, said:
“We were proud to be the launch school for Coram Beanstalk’s National Year of Reading, with Rashmi as its ambassador, and know that today’s event will stay with the pupils and inspire them to read well, widely and more frequently.”
The appeal was launched in the same week as the official start of the National Year of Reading 2026, a campaign to address the steep decline in reading amongst children, young people and adults.
Research from the National Literacy Trust, which is leading the National Year of Reading with the Department for Education, reveals that just one in three children aged eight to 18 say they enjoy reading in their free time.
Anna Ganley, Chief Executive of the SoA, said:
“The decline in reading for pleasure is both alarming and saddening. We know that reading is vital for children’s academic attainment, but it also brings so many other benefits, such as nurturing curiosity and imagination and developing self-esteem. We want every child to experience the magic of books, which is why we’re proud to support this campaign.”
Amy Lewis, Head of Coram Beanstalk, said:
“We are very excited to launch this appeal along with the Society of Authors and to welcome Rashmi as our new ambassador. The in-person support we provide to children gives them individual time and attention allowing them to flourish and we can’t wait to bring this to more schools.”
The SoA and Coram Beanstalk are inviting people to support the campaign by signing up as a volunteer in their local area. Alternatively, supporters can make a donation towards the cost of training new volunteers.
