Following the success of Children Today’s inclusive storytelling sessions – ‘Accessible Authors’ – earlier this year, which saw over 5,500 young people take part, the charity is passionate about expanding the project and raising awareness of disability and neurodiversity amongst young people.

So, it’s aiming to run even more sessions for children across the UK. More information about the project is available here: https://www.spacehive.com/reading-for-life.

Why is this important?

There are more than 351,000 children in the UK with a learning disability. 15–20% of children in the UK are neurodivergent and 11% have a physical disability. Yet, although representation of disability and neurodivergence in children’s books has improved in recent years it’s estimated only 3.4% of children’s books feature a disabled main character.

Children Today believe it’s vital that our children can read about and see disabled and neurodivergent characters, so that disabled children feel represented, included, and inspired and non-disabled children are aware of differences and encouraged to embrace and understand disability and neurodivergence.

So, how can you help?

Children Today has an amazing opportunity to potentially double any funds we raise for the project through match funding from the Cheshire West Community Innovation Fund towards the project. Please note that although this funding opportunity is Cheshire-based the project is open to all young children across the UK.

Children Today’s Reading for Life crowdfunding campaign is now live and runs until the 15th of October. It needs a minimum of ‘20 backers’ by the 9th of September!

You can show your support in the following ways:

• LIKE  the project
• FOLLOW  the project
• BACK  the project – anything from as £1 can count and will be one of the 20 backers the charity needs to get!