Ealing Broadway shopping centre has hosted more than 240 school children from West Acton Primary School, West Twyford Primary School and St John’s Primary School where they took part in a poetry session.
The pupils listened to poems from professional storyteller and Young People’s Laureate for London 2020/2021 Cecilia Knapp. The event was part of the Young Readers Programme, an initiative sponsored by Ealing Broadway’s owner British Land and run-in partnership with the National Literacy Trust which aims to encourage children to read outside of the classroom.
Ms Knapp was resident poet at Great Ormond Street Hospital for two years and is lead tutor for the Roundhouse’s prestigious poetry collective.
During the literacy-focussed event, pupils also took part in a range of fun activities with a variety of retailers and organisations based at Ealing Broadway, including Decathlon, Waterstones and Ealing Central Library. They were also able to take home a book of their choice.
This marks the twelfth year of British Land’s partnership with the National Literacy Trust, and since the programme launched at Ealing Broadway, it has supported more than 2,500 school children and seen nearly 7,700 books donated across Ealing.
Andrew Rollings, centre director at Ealing Broadway, said: “Supporting our community is very important to us, so we’re incredibly proud of the Young Readers Programme and all the local children and families we’ve been able to support in the last 10 years.
“It was brilliant to welcome the children from West Acton Primary School, West Twyford Primary School and St John’s Primary School to the centre. It’s always very rewarding to see how the children are inspired by the stories they hear and start to get excited about reading and bringing their own books home.”
Martin Galway, Head of School Programmes at the National Literacy Trust, said: “The right book, at the right moment, can change a child’s life. That’s what the Young Readers Programme has been doing with British Land for the last 12 years – giving children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to experience enchanting story-telling events, and to choose books that speak to their interests and passions.
“Our goal is to spark a love of reading that will last them a lifetime, which in turn will empower them with the literacy skills they need to succeed.”
