When Readathon was founded in 1984 its aim was to champion children’s recreational reading, but the difference the money it raises makes to our charities and the lives of very ill children should not be overlooked.

When the campaign began, we thought that Readathon would donate funds to a different charity every year, so in 1984 we gave our first cheque, £130,000, to Mencap, and the next year a slightly larger amount went to The World Wildlife Fund.

Then, following some research among our supporting schools, we discovered how important it was to get the choice of charity right. Children who are well like to raise money for children who are ill, and when we started to work with CLIC Sargent, or the Malcolm Sargent Cancer Fund for Children as it was then, the number of schools wanting to take part shot up. So did the amounts of money that were raised.

We changed our minds, and have stayed with the cause of sick children ever since.

Roald Dahl admired the way that Readathon got children reading recreationally. He shared our concern that 'reading for enjoyment' was in danger of being submerged in 'reading as a life skill'. He also applauded the fact that a lot of money was being raised for children and young adults suffering with serious illnesses.

When, following his death in 1990, a Foundation was set up to help children with specific medical problems it seemed obvious that Readathon should help, alongside the support given to CLIC Sargent.

"The money from Readathon has made an enormous difference to the work The Roald Dahl Foundation has been able to do to help very ill children." Liccy Dahl