National Literacy Trust star-studded gala dinner raises £175k

The National Literacy Trust (NLT) has raised £175,000 for its charity work at its first in-person gala event since 2019.

The money will be used to continue the charity’s work to improve the literacy rates of disadvantaged young people. 

Authors who attended the fundraiser included Monica Ali, Charlie Higson, David Nicholls, Adele Parks, Elizabeth Day, Cressida Cowell and Tom Percival.

Edward Rising, in association with Sotheby’s, led an auction featuring a range of exclusive prizes donated by supporters of the NLT. These included a behind-the-scenes visit to a Radio 4 sitcom recording, a Premier League trophy visit for a school, two original artworks by Axel Scheffler and two tickets to "Swan Lake" with signed pointe shoes. 

In the past year, the charity has supported the literacy of 700,000 children who were out of school and could not access digital learning. It also distributed more than 575,000 books, magazines and writing resources during lockdown to support children in disadvantaged communities, while working with 6,400 schools.

“It was brilliant to be able to host our gala event in person for the first time in three years," said Jonathan Douglas, c.e.o. of the NLT. "I would like to say a huge thank you to all our partners for their generous support on the night, which helped us to raise such a fantastic amount for our crucial work to improve literacy levels in the most disadvantaged communities. We were honoured also to be joined by so many influential authors and illustrators, who did a brilliant job hosting tables throughout the evening. Ongoing support and enthusiasm for our work from the literary world pays tribute to how important literacy is in the UK today.

“Low levels of literacy are threatening the futures of millions of children and young people in the UK from disadvantaged backgrounds. The incredible funds raised at our charity auction last night will support our vital work to give children living in the UK’s poorest communities the literacy skills they need to find a route out of poverty and lead successful, happy and healthy lives, regardless of their background.”

The event was sponsored by Chase, Enterprise and Lancôme, and held in partnership with Pan Macmillan, Penguin Random House UK, Slaughter and May, Vitruvian Partners, W H Smith and Willis Towers Watson.