News

All at Reading Force are so sad to hear of the death of our distinguished patron, Dame Penelope Keith Dame Penelope became a patron of Reading Force, the charity that connects military families through shared-reading, four years ago. We approached her because of her lifelong support for the military, and were gratified by her immediate interest in what we were doing. I had met her through the Surrey Military Partnership, and as a  military spouse myself was so heartened by her commitment to, and respect for, the military community. She was always an active patron of our [...]

For Belinda, some of the most treasured family moments happen with a book in hand and a grandchild curled up beside her. Through shared stories, imagination and plenty of cuddles, reading has become a special way of bringing generations of her family together. Belinda and her husband Bill, a Royal Marines veteran who served for 11 years, first heard about Reading Force through their local veterans’ drop-in session. As a veteran family and grandparents to four girls, they quickly recognised how the initiative could help strengthen family connections through books. “Both Bill and I love [...]

Not sure how to start a book club? No worries! Read on to find out more... It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-time book club member, an avid reader, or want to get back into reading – you can volunteer to be a coordinator. “Thank you again so much for this wonderful opportunity. I have had some really positive feedback from the members who are very grateful to be a part of this.” Feedback from an RF book club coordinator Our book clubs are organised by volunteer coordinators, who have the full support from our Book Club Ambassador, Nicola. [...]

During the Month of the Military Child we sent children at Carnagill School a bundle of books to review. They have been AMAZING at telling us what they thought about the books and we’ve loved hearing their reviews. In this blog, Sarah Bradshaw talks about  Reading Force at Carnagill: Stories That Brought Us Together During the Month of the Military Child, Carnagill School was incredibly grateful to receive a parcel of books from Reading Force to review—and what a moment it was when it arrived. The excitement of opening the parcel was immediate and infectious. Pupils [...]

I always feel I am onto something when related ideas come at me from different directions. Of late, this has been the case with dyslexia. Every child or young adult who registers with Reading Force receives both a book and an RF scrapbook or teen journal. We match books to children’s reading ages and special educational needs, and in the process have found ourselves sending a lot of titles to children with dyslexia. Parents and carers in the RF community are routinely surprised to find out that books to support those with dyslexia do exist. [...]

How running in aid of Reading Force made the journey even more meaningful for Becca Clark. For as long as I can remember, the idea of running the London Marathon has sparkled at the back of my mind like a distant, glittering finish line. I’ve watched the event on TV every April, marvelling at the thousands who pounded the city’s pavements with such resolve and heart, secretly hoping one day I’d be among them. This year, that dream finally came true—and the experience meant more to me than I ever could have imagined. From the [...]