Help us reach our fundraising goal of £4,000 which will pay for 1,000 Forces families to enjoy the gift of reading together at Christmas.
Reading Force is a registered charity that brings Forces families closer together through shared reading – at Christmas and all year round.
It's like a book club for the whole family and is available to ALL British military families, Army, Navy & Marines, and RAF, including Reservists and Veterans.
A bridge of books
Did you know? According to gov.uk, UK troops are involved in approximately 25 operations in more than 30 countries across the globe. The MOD estimates that 11,000 personnel will be deployed this Christmas, so thousands of UK military families will be separated during the festive season.
A free book at Christmas and Reading Force scrapbook for 1,000 military families
With the help of your donation, we can provide a free book at Christmas and Reading Force scrapbooks to military families and encourage them to read together over the festive season via Skype, Facetime or the telephone, connecting and bonding while mum or dad is deployed.
One military family benefiting from Reading Force this Christmas is the La-Borde family. Sian La-Borde, 36, and daughter, Amelie, four, live in Stafford and are preparing for their first Christmas since Amelie was born without husband and father, Ryan. Ryan, 37, is on a four-month deployment to the Falklands. He left for the Falklands in mid-September 2018 and is due home in mid-January 2019. Hear how Sian and Amelie are preparing for Christmas without Ryan this year - and how Reading Force is keeping them closer (video courtesy of Force Network). Hear Sian and Amelie's story in the short news film below (courtesy of Forces Network).
Testimonials from other children and families who do Reading Force
"I liked how Daddy was hundreds of miles away but we could share this together. And when Daddy came home we talked about our favourite parts." Paige
"This is an activity both Evelyn and I can do when she misses her daddy when he goes to work. It takes her mind off daddy being away from her and we can have fun putting our scrapbook together." Cozens Family
"As Daddy was away on exercise, Thomas and Phoebe were able to feel closer to him, having something to talk to him about and it also reduced the separation anxiety." Greener Family
"Poppa reads to the children over Skype/Whatsapp when he's away to maintain their special bond." Banks Family
Your generosity will help pay for free books and scrapbooks for Forces children and give shared festive memories for families - even when they are separated by deployment.
Let’s reach our festive fundraising goal of £4,000 so that 1,000 military families can receive a free book and scrapbook this Christmas to keep them connected and involved at this special time of year.
“Given how much of their family life these kids have sacrificed for us, the least we can do is give something back to them. It may seem like a small gift, but the shared experience of reading can be a powerful expression of love.” – Meg Rosoff, Carnegie Medal winning children’s author, on Reading Force
Reading Force supports British Forces families, Reservists and Veterans all year round with shared reading activities and resources to help them stay close and connected. For further information about Reading Force please visit our website https://www.readingforce.org.uk/ or follow us on Facebook
If you know of a Forces family who will be separated this Christmas and would enjoy taking part in Reading Force please share the following link - join Reading Force
Reading Force is a registered Charity No. 1159890 and member of Cobseo.