Burnley Together is stepping up its support for the National Year of Reading 2026, joining the National Literacy lead partner for Burnley, New Era North West Ltd, in helping more people discover, or rediscover, the joy of reading.
With only one in five people in Burnley believed to read regularly, the focus this year is on making books and stories easier to access, more visible in local spaces, and genuinely enjoyable for all ages.
As part of the campaign, Burnley Together is working with community groups, schools and local organisations to create new opportunities for residents to get involved.
As the lead partner, New Era North West Ltd, has already distributed the allocation of 600 books across Burnley, a share of the 400,000 World Book Day £1 books given to children in disadvantaged and low‑literacy areas.
So far, New Era has engaged with 15 community centres across the borough, with an allocation of a selection of books and also a dedicated Go All In cork board. These boards will be regularly refreshed with the tent pole moments as developed by the National Literacy Trust, including reading activities, sign‑ups, book swap information and local events, helping to keep the momentum going throughout the year. For community venues wishing to participate in the National Year of Reading and for additional information, please email Amy Quinn at Amy@neweraburnley.co.uk.
They have described being chosen as a lead partner as a ‘ privilege,’ and hope the initiative will spark a long‑term love of reading among the children they reach.
Down Town will also be taking part, acting as one of the community venues where people can hand in their reading tokens in return for free books. Together, these exchanges are designed to remove barriers, make choosing a book feel inviting rather than intimidating, and give children and families the chance to pick up something that genuinely sparks their interest.
Charlie, Customer Service Advisor at Down Town, spoke of Burnley Together’s excitement at being involved with the campaign.
He said: “Reading has always had a place in our community, but sometimes people just need a little nudge or the right moment to pick up a book again.
“We’re really excited to be part of this campaign and to welcome families into Down Town to choose something new.
“And of course, people can keep up to date with everything happening at Down Town and across Burnley and Padiham through the Burnley Together webpage and social media channels.”
Burnley is one of five areas nationally that have been specially targeted to help improve reading participation, and the town is embracing the opportunity. With events, book exchanges and community celebrations planned throughout 2026, Burnley Together and lead partner New Era are encouraging residents to get involved, explore what they enjoy, and go all in on reading.