A WIRRAL children’s literacy charity is helping to tackle Britain’s reading crisis among under 11s.

Local group Beanstalk is part of a new coalition campaign to get all children reading well by age 11 by 2025.

Called Read On. Get On, the coalition is made up of teachers, parents, businesses and charities including Save the Children.

They say one and a half million children will reach the age of 11 unable to “read well” by 2025 unless urgent action is taken to tackle the reading crisis.

Shockingly, in Wirral last year, 397 pupils left primary school unable to read to the required level.

But Beanstalk is working to address this issue by recruiting and training volunteers from the local community to go into primary schools to support children who are falling behind with their reading.

The charity currently supports 212 children in more than 31 schools across the borough.

A recent report published by Read On. Get On found that disadvantaged children are the worst affected, with four in 10 not reading well by the age of 11 – almost double the rate of their better off peers.

The report also found that they are not reading enough outside, or with their fathers.

Read On. Get On. aims to create a nation of strong readers by supporting parents to read with young children for 10 minutes a day and urging the public to volunteer to help disadvantaged children improve their reading.

It also aims to build a powerful coalition of the county’s most influential public, private and charitable organisations to pledge to support the mission, as well as urging all political parties to support the 2025 target.

Sue Porto, chief executive of Beanstalk, said: “The one-to-one support offered by Beanstalk’s reading helpers plays a vital role in helping children to read well by age 11 and we are delighted to be a part of Read On. Get On.”

Amy Lewis, Beanstalk area manager for the Northwest, added: “It is truly shocking that so many children leave primary school unable to read confidently.

“We are urgently looking for more volunteer reading helpers to provide vital one-to-one support in local schools.

“We are currently looking for volunteers for primary schools in Wirral.”

“If you think you could give a child the gift of reading I would urge you to step forward to become a reading volunteer.”

To find out more, you can call the Merseyside Office on 0151 722 4743 or visit beanstalkcharity.org.uk/reading-helpers