Literacy Pirates

“It’s such a brilliant, brilliant project. I’ve literally seen kids at primary level and just before secondary as well, grow in confidence want to put their hands up, want to speak out – their reading and writing improving hugely.”

Find out how our incredible volunteers like Vick Hope are helping to equip children with the literacy skills and self belief they need to thrive in the classroom – and beyond!



https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbDSkBFqCW8/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Our incredible ambassador @vicknhope came aboard the @literacypirates ship in Hackney to volunteer for the #NationalYearofReading2026! Pledge partners @literacypirates empower children aged 9 – 13 to build the literacy skills they need to succeed in school and beyond, and you can volunteer with them too. We’re aiming to recruit 100,000 volunteers across the UK, to inspire millions more to Go All In and read into the things they love. From classrooms and libraries to homes and workplaces, there’s a way for everyone to Go All In and volunteer this year. Get involved, link in bio. #GoAllIn2026

🎵📚 Reading meets music this summer — and it’s going to be epic.

The Summer Reading Challenge 2026 is back, and this year’s theme — Read to the Beat! — explores the magical connection between stories and songs, and how both spark imagination and creativity in children.

Delivered by The Reading Agency in partnership with local libraries across the UK and powered by Universal Music Group UK, it’s the biggest reading for pleasure programme for children in the country — getting around 700,000 kids through library doors every year.

This year’s Challenge is brought to life with illustrations by award-winning author and illustrator, Harry Woodgate.

New for 2026: a redesigned digital platform that’s gamified and year-round, keeping children reading — and connected to their local library — long after the summer ends. 🎮

👉 Find brilliant book recommendations and everything you need to get involved:

🔗 readingagency.org.uk/summer-reading-challenge

Find out how we’re helping children to develop a lifelong love of learning:

🌊 Visit us at literacypirates.org

Some lovely words from one of our incredible volunteers - the fabulous Vick Nwosu-Hope.

Vick's written a piece about why she volunteers with Literacy Pirates and why she believes books give children the tools to make sense of the world around them.

She talks about the joy of watching a child put their hand up to share what they think of a story - and why that matters more than ever, with reading enjoyment among kids still well below where it was a decade ago.

It's a lovely reminder of why our volunteers give up their time every week, and why the work matters.

Give it a read - and if you've got a little spare time each month and love books as much as Vick does, we'd love to hear from you. 🏴‍☠️📚

Go All In 2026

Vick Hope: Books gave me the tools to understand my world — children need that gift The most important thing that we gain from reading is empathy — you learn to walk a day in someone else’s shoes

Thank you to everyone who came along last week to the Rio Cinema to celebrate our incredible young pirates! 🎬

We gathered to watch the film premiere of “The Quest for the Golden Quill” — a brilliant story written and performed entirely by our young pirates. It was a truly special occasion, celebrating not just this one performance, but a whole year’s worth of hard work, creativity, and growth.

A huge well done to all involved — we’re so proud of what you’ve achieved! Have a look at some photos from the afternoon below 📸

We have some exciting news to share. 🎉

We are thrilled to welcome Kat Lee as the new Chief Executive of Literacy Pirates!

She brings a wealth of expertise leading organisations that open doors for children and young people experiencing disadvantage — most recently as CEO of Family Holiday Charity, and before that in a senior role at Girlguiding. She is committed to growing Literacy Pirates' reach while protecting its legacy of excellence and joy, that makes it so special.

We're also taking this moment to extend a heartfelt thank you to our outgoing CEO, Jude Williams, whose dedication has shaped Literacy Pirates into the organisation it is today.

Read on to meet Kat and find out what drew her to Literacy Pirates.

https://literacypirates.org/news/a-new-chapter-for-literacy-pirates-meet-incoming-ceo-kat-lee

At Literacy Pirates, every Young Pirate is a writer ✍️🏴‍☠️

From the moment they join us, each student is treated like a real author and by the end of the programme they really are!

Each cohort engages in a project: a book, newspaper, or film. Through our Writing Islands approach - a structured drafting and redrafting model - they learn to develop stories that are published in real world products in the final weeks of the programme.

Have a read of these gorgeous poems written by two Young Pirates, Young Pirates Jannah and Leon. These poems were published in a book of poetry!!

📚 It’s time for another book recommendation from the Literacy Pirates team as part of the and Go All In!

For April, our amazing Schools Partnership Manager Sarah has a recommendation to share.

Her pick is Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, and here’s why she enjoyed it:

'Small Things Like These is set during a dark chapter in Ireland’s history. It tells a short but powerful story, following an ordinary man whose quiet acts of kindness ultimately reveal extraordinary courage. At its heart, the book's message is one of courage, compassion, and hope. It shows us that small acts of kindness don't go unnoticed, which we all need reminding of sometimes!'

Have you read this powerful book? or seen the film?
Share your April recommendations with us! 🌟

📊 OUR IMPACT IN NUMBERS 📊

Ever wondered who we support?

Of the young people on our 2024-25 programme:
98% faced socio-economic barriers
84% were Pupil Premium funded
28% had Special Educational Needs
58% spoke English as an Additional Language

By the end of our programme:
86% made progress in literacy
90% gained perseverance
95% built confidence

Our programmes create joyful, low-risk environments where children can explore reading and writing, celebrate their achievements, and take confidence back to the classroom.

Together, we’re helping close the literacy gap and open doors to brighter futures. 🏴‍☠️📚

Have you seen the latest figures from the National Literacy Trust? They paint a very sad picture of reading for joy among young people today.

📖 1 in 3 of 8–18 year old say they enjoy reading
📚 Only 1 in 5 read daily, the lowest level since 2005
✍️ Only 1 in 4 enjoy writing in their free time

And yet…

⏳ Reading just 20 mins a day exposes a child to 1.8 MILLION words a year.

At Literacy Pirates, we work with young people to rebuild their confidence in picking up a book. We empower them to discover joy in reading, making real and lasting changes to their literacy and so their educational attainment.

Want to help us grow our impact even further? Head to our website http://literacypirates.org to find out how you can get involved.

Reading for Pleasure matters more now than ever!

Only 32% of children enjoy reading in their free time (The National Literacy Trust). Yet research shows that reading for enjoyment equals academic success.

Reading for Pleasure helps children develop richer vocabulary, better comprehension skills, and stronger empathy. Skills that will help them beyond the classroom. This is why Reading for Pleasure is part of our model at Literacy Pirates.

Our latest blog post lists 4 ways to make reading
irresistible in the classroom:
1. Give children choice and mean it! Teachers can create a ​“Books I Enjoy” shelf that grows over the year with pupil recommendations.

2. Make reading social. Teachers can pair pupils for reading buddies or have full class read aloud.

3. Celebrate reading identities. Teachers can end each week by picking a 'Reader of the Week' which can celebrate something different each week.

4. Encourage reading conversation instead of just reading comprehension. Trying using prompts that invite imagination instead of formal questions. Teachers can create Reading Conversation journals (a shared notebooks between the teacher and pupil)

Like these tips and want to read more? Go check out our full blog post:
https://literacypirates.org/news/practical-literacy-activities-to-promote-reading-for-pleasure