With encouragement from his fellow trustees, Sir Simon commissioned research from the public relations department of WHSmith into the need for a national literacy agency.
[2] Its strategic remit was to “advance public education in Reading, Writing and other literacy skills… and to cooperate and collaborate with voluntary bodies and statutory authorities operating in similar charitable fields and to exchange information and advice”.
Following an extensive selection process, Neil McClelland was appointed to the role of full-time Director in September 1993, in time for the press launch of the charity in October 1993.
As the secretariat, the charity holds meetings and runs commissions that address major policy issues and profile literacy among key policymakers.
The charity currently has six active National Literacy Trust Hubs: in Bradford, Peterborough, Middlesbrough, Nottingham, Swindon and Stoke-on-Trent.
The charity runs an annual literacy survey into the attitudes towards reading and writing of eight- to 18-year-olds across the UK,[6] from which most of its research reports are created.
Premier League players share their favourite books[11] and deliver online literacy tasks for pupils to complete.