Since 2018, Chapter One's volunteers have shared 433,500 stories with children who need extra reading support. Today, we're setting out where we go from here.

One Million Stories by 2030 is our commitment to reach one million stories shared between our volunteers and children - a cumulative count that tracks, in real time, the collective impact of every session delivered since we began. Every 30-minute session generates around two stories. Add that up across every volunteer, every corporate partner, and every child, and the numbers begin to tell their own story.

The campaign launches during the National Year of Reading 2026 - a landmark government-backed initiative to reverse the decline in reading for pleasure across the UK. As a lead delivery partner, Chapter One is committing to recruit 1,000 additional reading volunteers this year. One Million Stories is how we track that progress - and celebrate it - all the way to 2030.

The campaign is open to everyone. Corporate partners can see their organisation's contribution on their individual Chapter One dashboard. Volunteers can track the sessions they've delivered against the growing total. Schools and families can follow the journey their children are part of.

Only 1 in 3 children aged 8–18 enjoy reading — the lowest figure in 20 years. Tackling that takes sustained, collective effort. One Million Stories is how we measure ours.

Get involved! Transform children's futures through workplace volunteering

Just 30 minutes a week from their desk. That's all it takes for employees to become reading influencers who help children develop confidence, fluency, and a love of reading. Our online platform makes volunteering seamless – no travel required, flexible scheduling, and full training provided.

• For potential partners: 2026 is the year to join the UK's largest virtual reading programme. We'll work with you to establish workplace volunteering that fits your organisation, engages your employees, and creates measurable impact for children facing disadvantage.

• For our existing partners: Is your organisation ready to renew or expand your commitment? Whether you want to reinvigorate your commitment to your current volunteer targets or want to scale your impact further, the National Year of Reading provides the perfect moment to mobilise more of your workforce.

• Beyond volunteering, organisations are also invited to champion our work through strategic funding for digital development, pro bono expertise, or by leveraging your networks and platforms to help us reach more volunteers.

Contact our corporate partnerships team to discuss how your organisation can help transform children's futures through reading.

• For potential partners: Karen Price, Business Development Manager: karen.price@chapterone.org
  

• For current partners: Roxanne Welch, Corporate Partnerships Manager: roxanne.welch@chapterone.org