Martin today attended the annual Summer Reading Challenge drop-in event at Portcullis House to show his support for children's literacy.
The event, hosted by The Reading Agency, highlights the UK’s biggest free reading for pleasure programme, which encourages children aged 4 to 11 to keep reading during the summer holidays. This year's theme, 'Read To The Beat', celebrates the connection between the joy of music and the magic of reading.
With recent research showing a worrying decline in reading engagement, including the lowest levels of children reading for pleasure since 2005, the initiative plays a vital role in nurturing lifelong reading habits and improving life chances.
Martin Vickers MP said, "I am delighted to support the Summer Reading Challenge again this year. Reading for pleasure is absolutely essential for a child's development and future opportunities, so it is deeply concerning to see a national decline in reading engagement. The Reading Agency does fantastic work to reverse this trend. I highly encourage families across our area to visit their local library this summer and get involved with the 'Read To The Beat' challenge."
