This month The Reading Agency is fundraising with bestselling author, Andy McNab, who is embarking on a historic trek to the South Pole at the end of November in aid of our #ReadingJourney appeal. He’ll be joining The Endurance 100 expedition to follow in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton 100 years on from his ill-fated Antarctic mission.
As a member of a reading group you know just how important reading for pleasure is and the positive difference it makes to your lives. The one thing you all have in common is that you love reading and talking about books. Not everyone is so lucky. If you are inspired by Andy’s story and share our belief that everything changes when we read, then please support the appeal by sponsoring Andy, and sharing the #ReadingJourney with your friends. We aim to raise £25,000 so that The Reading Agency can support and inspire more people like Andy to read more and read with confidence. Here’s more detail on the appeal, and you can help right now just by texting READ15 £5 to 70070.
Andy McNab
From the day he was found in a carrier bag on the steps of Guy’s Hospital, Andy McNab has lived an extraordinary life. From illiteracy in his teenage years to becoming a best-selling author, McNab knows better than most how the ability to read can impact a person’s life, sharing The Reading Agency’s belief that everything changes when we read.
Andy said:
“I’m a textbook example of how reading can change your life: at 17, in the army, I was given my first book to read and it was the beginning of something fantastic. Reading gives you knowledge, it gives you power. I’ve seen first-hand the incredible work The Reading Agency does to open up reading to more people and I’m delighted to name them my charity partner as I join The Endurance 100 trek to the South Pole.”
The expedition
100 years ago this year, Shackleton’s ship “Endurance” was lost to the ice and the chances of completing the first Trans-Antarctic expedition were crushed too. The ensuing epic story of heroism, leadership, survival and eventual rescue is legendary.
The expedition team will depart the UK on 25 November and are scheduled to arrive at the South Pole in mid-December. Andy hopes this trek will inspire supporters around the world to pledge their support to the #ReadingJourney appeal.
Our mission
The Reading Agency’s mission is to inspire more people to read more and read with confidence, supporting people at all stages of their reading journey, reaching 1.5 million people of all ages every year. Currently, one in five children in the UK cannot read well at the age of 11, rising to one in three amongst children from disadvantaged backgrounds, while 16.4 per cent of adults score at the lowest level of proficiency in literacy.
Reading Groups for Everyone is the UK’s largest reading group network and is operated as part of national literacy charity, The Reading Agency. We know that reading for pleasure and information helps people realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential. Our programmes support and keep people reading at all stages of life through innovative reading activities developed with libraries, publishers, authors and other partners. We want to enable more people to read and improve their life chances. As well as the reading offers and events that you see here, we also have a full programme of activities working with children and adults at every level of their reading journey.
Get involved
Please make your donation here or text READ15 plus the amount you wish to donate (e.g. £5) to 70070. Help us send more people on their #ReadingJourney and win the chance to meet Andy when you donate to the appeal!
We have all shared our favourite books on travel and exploration, inspired by the expedition. Have you read any of the books, or would you recommend any others? Post a review or share your thoughts with us on Facebook, and Twitter using @ReadingAgency, #ReadingJourney and @The_Real_McNab
