Take 10 to Read 2025
This October Read Manchester ran our annual Take 10 to Read campaign, promoting the importance of reading for mental health and wellbeing. Just 10 minutes of reading can be a great way to relax, boost your mood and escape the pressures of daily life.
Centred around World Mental Health Day on 10th October, #Take10ToRead started in Manchester and is now in its eighth year, being promoted nationally across all National Literacy Trust Hubs.
This year in Manchester, we ran some fantastic book giveaways at The Christie and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospitals, hosted events for schools with author Oli Sykes, and encouraged people and organisations across the city to get involved by pledging to #Take10toRead.
Events at The Christie and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital
At the Christie Hospital we gifted 1138 books to staff, visitors and patients on wards, and chatted about the many benefits of taking 10 minutes to read for mental health. We also gifted an additional 300 books to the Christie’s satellite sites in Oldham, Macclesfield and Salford.
We received an overwhelmingly positive reception from patients and hospital staff alike, with many staff who visited us in the morning returning with more colleagues later in the day and telling us the books had already sparked discussions in the staff room.
Quotes from staff and patients at The Christie Hospital
The Christie Library has gone on to be awarded the You Make a Difference Award. This award is given to services/individuals that made a considerable difference to patients and staff, but also those who represent the Christie values and behaviours. The award was voted for by staff, patients and senior management for the World Mental Health Day book giveaway with Read Manchester and MCC Libraries in 2024.
At the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital we gifted 722 books and spoke to children about book choices and reading, while talking to parents about the extraordinary value of taking 10 minutes to read with your child each day; a great habit to develop that is never too early to start. One parent was grateful to be able to take one of our books to read their child in intensive care, and another child spoke to us about how useful it was to have a book to distract them while waiting for a surgery.
A huge thanks goes out to all the literacy champion volunteers who joined us at both hospitals to make these events a success.
Take 10 Author Events
150 children from three Manchester schools joined an event at Manchester Central Library with author and poet Oliver Sykes. Oli shared his personal story about the power of reading for just 10 minutes a day. He has also supported our Take 10 campaign with this video of his poem Your Climb.
Author Oli Sykes with children from St Brigid’s Primary School
Take 10 Across the City
Across the city 12 local organisations including Manchester Thrive in Education and Southway Housing signed the National Literacy Trust’s Take 10 pledge, receiving tips and resources to hold their own events.
Seven Manchester parks received a total of 210 books to inspire reading in their cafes and will be encouraging visitors to take 10 minutes to enjoy a story.
Finally, staff and borrowers at libraries across Manchester shared pictures of themselves taking ten to read for wellbeing on World Mental Health Day.
