Vale of Glamorgan Council Leads Pioneering New Reading Strategy
The Vale of Glamorgan Council will be leading work to help design and pilot a new Local and Regional Reading Strategy, placing the public library service at the heart of a major new programme to strengthen reading across communities.
Running until October 2026, the pilot will test innovative, place-based approaches to reading engagement, develop new opportunities for partnership working across council services and community organisations, and build workforce skills to support reading in a wide range of settings.
The project will create a draft Reading Strategy, practical toolkit and evidence base which, if successful, could help inform future policy and strengthen reading provision across Wales.
The initiative will also play a key role in supporting activities during the National Year of Reading 2026, helping to celebrate reading in all its forms and encouraging more people of all ages to discover the benefits and enjoyment of books, stories and shared reading experiences.
As part of the programme, the Council’s library service will work closely with schools, early years providers, health and wellbeing services, community groups, cultural organisations and local partners to explore how reading can support education, wellbeing, confidence, creativity and stronger community connections.
The strategy will build on the Vale’s longstanding commitment to reading promotion through successful programmes already delivered by libraries across the county, including the annual Summer Reading Challenge. The challenge encourages children to continue reading throughout the school holidays, helping to improve literacy skills, confidence and enjoyment of reading while engaging families with local libraries and community activities.
The project has been supported as part of the Welsh Government’s culture priorities, which aims to strengthen local cultural services across Wales.
Cllr Rhiannon Birch, Cabinet Member for Education, Arts and the Welsh Language, said: “We are delighted that the Vale of Glamorgan has been given this opportunity to lead such an important and ambitious programme. Reading has the power to transform lives, support wellbeing, improve educational outcomes and bring communities together.
“Our libraries already play a vital role in supporting people of all ages to access books, learning opportunities and welcoming community spaces. This pilot gives us an exciting opportunity to build on that strong foundation, develop new partnerships and explore innovative ways to inspire a lifelong love of reading across the Vale, and we are proud that the learning from this project could help shape future reading strategies and library services across Wales.”
Welsh Government Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport, Heledd Fychan, said: “Libraries play vital roles in our communities. We know reading is a powerful lever for reducing inequalities, helping children to do better at school while developing empathy, creativity and imagination.
“That is why this new government has committed to progress the development of a new Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Plan.
“By placing libraries at the heart of a collaborative, place-based approach, programmes like this help strengthen reading skills, support wellbeing and inspire a lifelong love of reading.”