Chapter One is joining World Book Day® ️ – the reading for fun charity – today, Thursday 5 March, as part of the National Year of Reading 2026.

World Book Day's mission is to encourage every child to discover the joy of reading for fun, and this year the campaign is calling on everyone to 'go all in' for reading. It's a message that resonates deeply with Chapter One's work: every week, our volunteers spend 30 minutes reading one-to-one with children aged 5-8 who need extra support, helping them discover that reading can be genuinely enjoyable, not just something for school.

Looking ahead: One Million Stories by 2030

The National Year of Reading 2026 feels like the right moment to reflect on what we've achieved – and what we're committing to next.

Since Chapter One launched in the UK in 2018, our reading volunteers have shared hundreds of thousands of stories with children who need extra reading support. Each week, volunteers typically share two stories per session. When you add that up across every volunteer, every child, and every year since we launched, the numbers tell a compelling story of their own.

Today, as part of our National Year of Reading commitments, we're announcing our goal to share One Million Stories with children by 2030. We'll be sharing more about this campaign - and its celebration of our collective effort - in the coming weeks.

About World Book Day

World Book Day inspires every child to enjoy the life-changing benefits of reading for fun. Find out more at www.worldbookday.com.

World Book Day £1 Books and tokens are available at participating retailers – find out more at www.worldbookday.com/books/