The Reading List Foundation

@thereadinglist.bsky.social

38 Followers 164 Following

The Reading List Foundation helps exceptional Year 13 students from lower-income families succeed at university, by paying for their first year textbooks. https://www.readinglistfoundation.org/

"I felt really grateful that I'd been given so much help for my time at university. It made me feel like my hard work at College had been recognised, which was a great feeling." - scholarship winner, 2026 impact report reading list foundation
Screenshot of a tweet on X from Mr Gupwell that reads “A big shout out to @ReadingList01 for the amazing work they are doing. One of our students will be the lucky recipient of their charitable donation. #transforminglives”
Logo for the Sir James Reckitt Charity
Quote from Amelia reads: "Being awarded the Scholarship meant a great deal to me. Not only did it reward my hard work and dedication to my A-levels, but it gave me a helping hand for university. Especially as books are so expensive."
Screenshot of a LinkedIn post that reads "Recently I had the pleasure of presenting two reading list foundation scholarships to two exceptional young people who have overcome significant personal challenges to achieve in education and they are off to university this Autumn. I am so proud of them both and proud to have been a small part of their journey. The right to an education is well understood as a universal human right, yet in the UK today, young people from disadvantaged backgrounds or those who have challenging circumstances can really struggle to access HE because student finance simply hasn't kept pace with the cost of living. If you believe that every young person should have the opportunity to access education based on their ability and not the personal circumstances they have grown up with, please consider whether you could support a charity like The Reading List Foundation and others that work in this area. A little bit can make a huge difference."
Screenshot of the Reading List Foundation’s Instagram profile
The scholarship reminded me that perseverance pays off and motivated me to continue my hard work at university. - Daisy
Map shows Liverpool with a crown over the name. Other cities marked are York, Nottingham , Cambridge and Exeter.
I wanted to say thank you. A book I bought with the voucher ended up sparking my interest in an area of research that I'm continuing with at Master's level next year. What you do has really made an impact on my life. - Betty, graduated from Durham University, 2025
Word cloud of university names. Liverpool, Cambridge and Oxford feature strongly.
Screenshot of the Reading List Foundation Instagram page
Being awarded the Scholarship meant a great deal to me. Not only did it reward my hard work and dedication to my A-levels, but it gave me a helping hand for university. Especially as books are so expensive.
The scholarship has been a great help in easing financial pressures that come with university life. I've been able to buy key textbooks and materials for my accounting and finance course, which has made studying much easier and more effective. - Oleksandr
"It has helped me afford books necessary for my studies and still live comfortably. I study BSc Medical Sciences, so books are not cheap!" - Lara
A word cloud of university names. Liverpool, Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Nottingham and York feature prominently. Trinity College (US), Glasgow, York St John, Cardiff Met are smaller. There are loads of other names.
Being awarded the Reading List Foundation Scholarship reassured me that my hard work had not gone unnoticed, and it gave me a real boost of confidence going into my A Level exams.
Headshot of Tracy, a young black woman smiling at the camera.
Headshot of Carmel.
Photo of a young woman in graduation robes
"Your kindness not only benefits the student directly but also serves as an inspiration for others to continue striving for excellence." - 2025 A Head of Sixth Form
"With your support, we have been able to award a sixth-form student with [the scholarship], which will undoubtedly make a significant impact on their academic journey through university." - 2025 A Head of Sixth Form
"We...proudly awarded the...Scholarship to one of our...students. It was a truly special moment for his parents, who were in the audience to share in his achievement. Thank you so much for continuing this wonderful initiative. " - 2025 Assistant Headteacher
57% of our scholarship winners still prefer hard copy textbooks to digital alternatives. (We fund whatever they prefer) Reading List Foundation scholarship winners third year students survey 2025
Photo of a group of students standing on some stairs with an adult.
75% of scholarship winners told us the award made a BIG DIFFERENCE to their time at university. From Reading List Foundation scholarship winners - third year students survey 2025
Photo of a student being presented with an envelope by an adult.
"With your support, we have been able to award a sixth-form student with [the scholarship], which will undoubtedly make a significant impact on their academic journey through university." - 2025 A Head of Sixth Form
MEET THE TEAM TRUSTEE Francesca advances educational opportunities and social mobility at an independent school in Croydon. As part of the development and alumni team, she raises funds for the school's bursary program. Her passion for educational access led her to become a Trustee the RLF. She is also pursuing a Master's in Philanthropic Studies to deepen her understanding and enhance her professional work. FRANCESCA CATLING https://www.readinglistfoundation.org/
Meet the team. TRUSTEE Emily became a Trustee in September 2022 due to her passion in supporting more young people that face barriers to attending University. She is our self-proclaimed governance geek & works as a Head of Delivery and Operations at Connected by Data. Emily J Macaulay www.readinglistfoundation.org
"Your kindness not only benefits the student directly but also serves as an inspiration for others to continue striving for excellence." - 2025 A Head of Sixth Form
Meet the team Trustee Julie has an extensive experience as a previous Head of 6th form in education; seeing firsthand the obstacles young people faced in transitioning to higher education. She was delighted to be introduced to the RLF - its benefits & differences made. She saw the direct impact of the RLF even with her own students. She now has the privilege of serving as a Trustee for the charity. Julie Sadler-Smith www.readinglistfoundation.org
Meet the team Trustee Carmel became a Trustee in 2019, bringing her experience from Education and Charity sectors. She is always amazed by the achievements and resilience of students who are nominated and enjoys hearing about the positive impact the scholarship has had on lives. Aside from Zoom meetings, you'll find her on the beach with her daughter. Carmel Lawless www.readinglistfoundation.org
MEET THE TEAM CO-FOUNDER Alan co-founded the Reading List Foundation back in 2016. He runs it on a day to day basis. He is the friendly face behind all the emails being sent out. (He wanted to point out his desk is usually a lot tidier than this!) ALAN TERRY https://www.readinglistfoundation.org/
Meet our Trustees Tracy is a Medical Student and became a Trustee in June 2022. She joined the team as a previous winner of the scholarship in 2021. Aside from being our young social media lead she is also involved in multiple leading roles in societal committees at University.
300+ scholarships In nine years of our partnership with Blackwells they've helped us in numerous ways to grow from 12 Scholarships in 2016 to 300+ this summer.
"It is always delightful to see how happy the recipients are, not just with the financial support for academic resources, but with the recognition that the award gives." - 2024 A Head of Sixth Form
Here are where our fantastic 2024 Scholarship winners are now studying