The National Literacy Trust, founded in 1993, is an independent charity dedicated to building a literate nation. The importance of literacy has long been recognised: it underpins all educational achievement and is central to economic advance; it helps develop human potential and raises self-esteem. Our vision is of a society where literacy is a valued part of everybody's life and all have the reading, writing and communication skills required to support their goals. We are the only organisation concerned with raising literacy standards for all age groups throughout the UK.