There is welcome news for children's literacy charities following the Chancellor's Autumn Budget 2026, with £15 million of new funding announced to help give young children greater access to books and reading opportunities.

The three-year investment, worth £5 million annually from 2027/28, will support organisations such as Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and BookTrust, which work to put books into the hands of children, particularly during their early years.

This announcement recognises something that charities working in children's literacy have understood for years: access to books can make a life-changing difference.

Developing a love of reading from an early age helps children build language skills, grow in confidence, develop their imagination and prepare for starting school. Yet not every family can afford to buy books regularly, meaning some children miss out on these important early experiences.

Charities play a vital role in addressing this inequality. Through free books, family reading programmes and partnerships with local communities, they help ensure that a child's background or household income does not determine their access to stories and learning.

The new funding also supports the Government's ambition for at least three in four children to achieve a good level of development by 2028.

For the charity sector, this is an important recognition of the contribution that voluntary organisations make to children's education and development. It also provides an opportunity to reach more families and strengthen existing literacy programmes.

However, the real measure of success will be how effectively this investment reaches the children and communities who need it most.

Every child deserves the opportunity to discover the joy of reading. This £15 million commitment is a positive step towards making that ambition a reality – because opening a book can open up a world of possibilities.

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