Footballer, Levi Colwill, returns to Southampton to launch national reading programme for children
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
England and Chelsea defender Levi Colwill backs national reading initiative with StoryZoo following ITV News coverage
London, UK – 7 March 2026
England and Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has partnered with UK education platform StoryZoo to launch a nationwide initiative aimed at reversing the sharp decline in children’s reading engagement.
The campaign has already begun gaining national attention, having featured on ITV Meridian and ITV News on 6 March, highlighting the urgent need to encourage more children across the UK to read for pleasure.
As part of the initiative, every primary school in the UK will now be able to access StoryZoo’s digital reading platform completely free of charge for a full year, giving pupils access to up to 1,000 age-appropriate e-books.
Schools simply need to register using a school email address, with no contracts and no hidden costs.
The initiative aims to make reading more accessible, enjoyable and consistent for young children, while supporting teachers and families at a time when reading engagement among children is at its lowest level in decades.
Levi Colwill launches the initiative at his local school
To mark the launch, Levi visited St Mary’s School in Southampton, a school local to him and attended by members of his family.
During the visit he led a school assembly, met pupils and officially launched a national reading challenge, encouraging children across the country to rediscover reading for enjoyment.
As part of the partnership, St Mary’s School will receive free long-term access to StoryZoo, with the wider national rollout now open to all UK primary schools.
Why Levi is supporting the initiative
Levi’s involvement is rooted in his belief that education and literacy create opportunity.
Having grown up understanding how slim the odds are of becoming a professional footballer, education was always emphasised as a priority.
Through this partnership he hopes to remove barriers to reading and help children build confidence through stories from an early age.
Why this matters
Reading engagement among children in the UK has reached its lowest level on record:
• Only 1 in 5 children now read daily
• Fewer than one third of children say they enjoy reading
• 40% of adults have not read a book in the past year
• Reading to young children has fallen sharply over the past decade
• Children who enjoy reading consistently achieve stronger literacy outcomes
About StoryZoo
StoryZoo is a UK-based EdTech platform designed to help primary-aged children develop a love of reading through accessible, engaging digital books.
The platform is used by schools to support reading for pleasure, home learning and classroom engagement, with built-in tools designed to make reading more interactive and rewarding for children.
Media availability
Following the ITV broadcast on 6 March, Levi Colwill and representatives from StoryZoo are available for further interviews with national and regional media, subject to football training and match commitments.
Media enquiries
Ben Sansom
ben@everincreasingcircles.com
07399 880626