The habit of reading needs to be rebooted and Marcus Rashford can help do that - Yvette Huddleston

When we look back over this strange year, in amongst all the challenges, difficulty and bad behaviour from some, there will be a few people who will stand out as heroes – and Marcus Rashford will be one of them.
A mural of Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford by Street artist Akse on the wall of the Coffee House Cafe in Withington. (PA).A mural of Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford by Street artist Akse on the wall of the Coffee House Cafe in Withington. (PA).
A mural of Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford by Street artist Akse on the wall of the Coffee House Cafe in Withington. (PA).

Over the summer the Manchester United and England footballer spearheaded a campaign to raise awareness of food poverty, speaking eloquently and candidly about his own experiences as a child and forcing the Government to do a U-turn on its decision not to extend funding free school meals over the school holidays for the 1.3 million eligible children.

This week Rashford announced that he is launching a book club and his own range of children’s literature with the aim of giving children from lower socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to experience the pleasure and benefits of reading from an early age.

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Working with Macmillan Children’s Books, Rashford will be promoting literacy and reading for children from all backgrounds; in his announcement he quoted a shocking figure, stating that “380,000 children across the UK today have never owned a book, children that are in vulnerable environments”.

He went on to say that as a child his family had been unable to budget for books because putting food on the table was their priority. “There were times where the escapism of reading could have really helped me. I want this escapism for all children. Not just those that can afford it.”

It is an admirable, thoughtful gesture from a young man who has already demonstrated what can be achieved with an open heart, an open mind and a generosity of spirit, all qualities very much lacking in our so-called leaders.

Research by the National Literacy Trust earlier this year found that in 2019 only 26 per cent of under-18s spent time reading each day, with the charity noting that it was the lowest figure since they began their children’s reading surveys 15 years ago.

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Much of this is, I think, down to our modern-day screen-based culture. The habit of reading books needs to be rebooted and Rashford, as a prominent public figure rightly looked up to by many children and young people, is in a perfect position to help do that. His wonderful Tweet this week “Reading is cool. Books are cool” will hopefully have begun to set that in motion.

The first book in the range, due for publication next May, is You Are a Champion: Unlock Your Potential, Find Your Voice and Be the Best You Can Be. Each chapter will open with an inspiring story from Rashford’s own life. And what a truly great role model he is.

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