What’s Reading Got To Do With It?
Reading Friends is a UK-wide programme brought to you by The Reading Agency, and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. They know that books can be a great way to make meaningful connections with others. So Put Down Your Phone and join your local Reading Friends. You never know who you might meet!
Step 1: Getting started
Reading together is a great activity, but not everyone will know how to start or where to find like-minded people to chat with. We recommend finding a book group nearby (or setting up your own) or joining your local Reading Friends group to get you started.
“Talking to strangers may seem like a daunting task, which is why we use books as a conversation starter.”
Step 2: Get chatting
Talking to strangers may seem like a daunting task, which is why we use books as a conversation starter. We also don’t discriminate when it comes to reading material: gardening magazines, driving test theory books, classic literature, or reminisce materials – if it gets you chatting, we think it’s great. If you’re reading with someone, why not start with a Quick Read from your local library? The books are perfect for regular readers wanting a fast and satisfying read, but are also ideal for adults who are discovering reading for pleasure for the first time. They’ll be perfect reading material to help you connect.
If you work at a community organisation, you can register to join the Reading Friends community, and we can provide all the resources that you need to set up and run your project.
Step 3: What’s reading got to do with it?
Feeling lonely is something that can happen to anyone, and most of us will experience loneliness in our lives at some point. A key thing that we can do to help us feel better when we’re feeling lonely is chat to someone, but sometimes it helps to have something to hand as a talking point to get you started. At the Reading Agency we paired up the power of a good chat with our belief in tackling life’s big challenges through the proven power of reading, and developed Reading Friends.
“We want you to Be More Us, and use reading to get chatting.”
We know that regular readers tend to be less lonely, and research has found that 95 per cent of people who are blind or partially sighted read (through an audio-book, or another technology) at least once a week to alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation[1]. Books can also give groups a way to talk through their thoughts and feelings in an indirect way. We want you to Be More Us, and use reading to get chatting.
Step 4: Keep reading
Once you’ve started chatting, why not try and explore new reading materials so you have new and exciting things to talk about? Our Reading Friends groups love poetry, and often write their own. The Reading Agency also has lots of books recommendations on the Find a Book section of our website, and you can see what other people have thought of the books.
Want something a little different? Try volunteering
“You get a friendship and social interaction, but I think it is deeper than that.” – Reading Friends volunteer
Volunteering is a great way to connect with people, and volunteering with Reading Friends can fit around you. We have lots of projects that you can get involved in. You can also register your interest to volunteer on our website.
[1] Demos (2018), A Society of Readers