Charity bringing books and creative literacy learning to millions of children, and thousands of teachers and schools, to be celebrated at the Fair 

London, 19 January 2022. The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) has today been announced as The London Book Fair (LBF) Charity of the Year 2022.

CLPE is an independent charity dedicated to raising the literacy achievement of children by putting quality literature at the heart of all learning. Working with schools to help them put books at the core of their teaching, and to ensure all children read and write for pleasure, the charity has an international reputation for providing excellent literacy training and resources for primary schools, transforming learning for millions of children each year.

Now in its fiftieth year, the charity works in partnership with every aspect of the literacy landscape, including teachers and schools, authors, illustrators, poets and publishers, as well as other literacy charities, researchers and universities. CLPE provides well-evidenced, creative, literacy training and support for primary school teachers and others that work in primary schools, and produces high quality resources to support classroom learning, so that as many schools as possible have access to knowledge, research and materials to help raise children’s literacy achievement.

Andy Ventris, Director at The London Book Fair, said: “CLPE is a phenomenal charity with an impressive track record in improving the literacy of millions of children. Much has been said about how important a love of books from an early age is in determining later life outcomes, and the CLPE has proven itself to be instrumental in nurturing a love of books and reading in children over the past fifty years. Through their Power of Reading Project, Power of Pictures Research, and their crowd-funded Literacy Library, along with their renowned resources and books for teachers and training programmes, they have helped put children’s literature at the very heart of learning. We were also particularly impressed by CLPE’s ground-breaking Reflecting Realities research, the first ever report into representation within children’s books in the UK. Congratulations to CLPE, and we look forward to championing the charity’s incredible work at LBF in April 2022.”

Louise Johns-Shepherd, CLPE’s Chief Executive, commented: “For fifty years CLPE has worked to ensure that books and stories are put at the very heart of children’s literacy learning. We know how important it is that children get to experience the very best literature, in all its forms and how important it is that they see themselves in the stories, poems and pictures they read. We are beyond delighted to be the London Book Fair Charity of the Year and to have the opportunity to connect with the industry that literally shapes our work.”

As Charity of the Year 2022, CLPE will be given an exhibition space and seminar session at LBF in April, in addition to receiving extensive marketing support including promotion across social channels, before and during the event. The charity will also benefit from a year-long promotion on LBF’s website, and online opportunities for fundraising and awareness.

In 2020/21, Royal Voluntary Service was named Charity of the Year, receiving a promotional spotlight on LBF’s website and running a session at the Online Book Fair. Other recent Charities of the Year recipients include BAFTA Kids charity Place To Be in 2019, the Kitiwake Trust in 2018, and Worldreader in 2017.

Find out more about CLPE.