Levi Colwill is making an impact beyond the football pitch after launching a nationwide initiative aimed at encouraging children across the United Kingdom to rediscover the joy of reading.
The Chelsea F.C. defender has partnered with UK education platform StoryZoo to provide every primary school in the UK with free access to a digital reading platform for an entire year. The initiative seeks to address the sharp decline in reading engagement among children, while removing financial barriers faced by schools and families.
Tackling The Decline In Reading
The programme was launched on World Book Day and gives pupils access to nearly 1,000 age appropriate e books through StoryZoo’s platform. Schools can register using their school email addresses, with no contracts or hidden costs attached.
Recent research paints a concerning picture about reading habits among young people. Studies show that reading engagement among children is at its lowest level in decades. Only one in five children reads daily, while fewer than a third say they actually enjoy reading.
The trend is also reflected among adults. Nearly 40 percent of adults have not read a book in the past year, while parent to child reading has declined significantly over the past decade.
Initiatives such as this aim to make reading a consistent and enjoyable part of a child’s daily routine while supporting teachers and families during a time when education budgets are under pressure due to the cost of living crisis.
Giving Back To His Community
To mark the launch of the initiative, Colwill visited St Mary’s School in Southampton, the area where he grew up. During the visit, he led a school assembly and met with pupils while officially launching a national reading challenge designed to encourage children to read for enjoyment.
St Mary’s School will also receive long term access to StoryZoo as part of the partnership.
Colwill’s involvement in the initiative stems from his belief that education and literacy create opportunities for young people. Having grown up understanding the slim chances of becoming a professional footballer, education was always emphasised as an important foundation for the future.
Inspiring Change Beyond Football
The initiative has already attracted national attention after being featured on ITV News and ITV Meridian.
Through the programme, Colwill hopes to help remove barriers to reading while encouraging children to build confidence and imagination through stories from an early age.
By using his platform to promote literacy, the England international is demonstrating how athletes can inspire meaningful change away from sport. His efforts highlight the powerful role footballers can play in supporting education and empowering the next generation.
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