A volunteer‑led Ipswich project is helping families build reading habits from babyhood to adulthood, proving how stories can strengthen literacy and confidence across the community.
Low literacy affects many households across Ipswich – and especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Some children can read at a basic level but lack the confidence or interest to read for pleasure.
Others grow up in homes with few books or without access to a library, making early reading habits harder to build. This can negatively impact wellbeing, confidence and opportunities later in life.
But a local charity is working hard to remedy this.
Established in 2016, Let’s Talk Reading is a volunteer‑led project working across the town using positive interventions that foster a love of reading from an early age.
“All our volunteers are absolutely passionate about books,” said lead volunteer and trustee Clair Pyper. “But the impact we have is way beyond reading stories to children.”
READ MORE: Pupils left enchanted by fresh look at reading with chance to meet picturebook author
Based on research from the Book Trust and the National Literacy Trust, Let’s Talk Reading’s holistic approach nurtures readers to help eradicate low literacy and inspire a lifelong love of books.
“We realised that quite a lot of children at secondary school level were able to functionally read, but not read for pleasure,” said Clair. “They weren’t reading for anything except their exams – and that doesn’t give them the breadth of understanding that they need for later life.”
The charity originally focused on playgroups and nurseries, where small changes can have the biggest effect.
One of the first steps was gifting a free book to every two‑year‑old starting nursery. Last Christmas, the project delivered more than 2,000 books to 38 settings across Ipswich. Each pack included a leaflet with tips for reading at home.
An initiative called Storytime is central to the project. Volunteers run 45-minute interactive sessions using picture books, props and handmade puppets.
“We find things that go with them to bring the books to life,” Clair said. “Even children who often don’t sit for stories will be engaged.”
Recent funding from the Suffolk Book League provided around 180 books for children with additional needs at Thomas Wolsey School, where volunteers now run Storytime sessions for pupils with physical and learning disabilities.
READ MORE: Expert shares top reading tips to make a difference for children on World Book Day
Let’s Talk Reading has four weekly baby groups running in Ipswich, with a professional facilitator running sensory development session alongside supporting families on why communication and reading are important from birth.
But its interventions are not only for the young. Its Let’s Read Ipswich branch supports adults who struggle to read, building a structured path for building confidence.
“We’ve got about 30 coaches who are able to work with people who come forward wanting help with their reading,” Clair explained. “They use the Shannon Trust method, a scheme which was developed for prisons, as a starting point for enhancing their literacy.”
The group also supplies dual‑language books in 53 languages to schools and nurseries so families can read in English and their home language – which is particularly valuable in multilingual communities.
READ MORE: New book donation helps Ipswich pupils talk about feelings
Clair said low literacy makes daily life “really difficult”, with negative implications on wellbeing and independence.
“We need to help them have a firm basis for learning through school and being able to read as adults,” Clair said. “That’s something that stands children in really good stead. Research shows that children are more likely to be successful in later life if they’ve had books in their household – no matter what income group they come from.
“Children who are read to at home do far better in their school lives and beyond,” Clair added. “A child read to once a day for the first five years of life is exposed to 1.4 million more words than their peers who are never read to.”
Clair said making reading a part of everyday life is the best thing parents can do for kids.
“Read with your child from the very beginning – and enjoy it together,” she said. “You need to find books that the particular child really loves, and there’s a great choice of them.
“If it’s dinosaurs, it’s dinosaurs! You can gradually widen out the horizons through that and help them see that books are an avenue into discussing all sorts of things.”
For more information, visit letstalkreading.org.uk
This article is part of Born & Read in Suffolk – a year-long initiative highlighting the importance of reading and writing, delivered in partnership with the National Centre for Writing and Suffolk Community Libraries, sponsored by Sizewell C and and Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority, and supported by Ipswich Town Football Club. Follow the campaign throughout the year in our coverage and on social media using #BornAndRead2026 or get in touch at readingmatters@newsquest.co.uk
Share