Primary school children from Woodlands Academy, West Acton Primary School and St John’s Primary School have attended a special storytelling session put on for them at Ealing Broadway which aims to help young people enjoy and fall in love with reading.
The event allowed the children who attending schools in Hanwell, Acton and West Ealing to hear stories from professional storyteller Alim Kamara. It is part of the Young Readers programme, an initiative sponsored by British Land who own Ealing Broadway and is run in partnership with the National Literacy Trust. One of the aims of the programme is to engage with children and encourage them to read outside of their school classroom.
Andrew Rollings, centre director at Ealing Broadway, said: “Supporting local children and their families is so important to us and the Young Readers Programme is an integral part of this. We look forward to this brilliant initiative every year and have loved hosting children from West Acton Primary School, Woodlands Academy and St John’s Primary School at Ealing Broadway.”
During the event, children took part in a range of activities which also included a quiz at Ealing Central Library and were able to take home a book of their choice.
Since getting involved in the programme in 2011, Ealing Broadway has supported more than 2,300 school children and more than 6,950 books have been donated.
Jonathan Douglas CBE, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Reading for enjoyment is proven to support mental wellbeing, literacy skills, and future success. Encouraging children to enjoy reading from a young age can have a measurable impact on the rest of their lives. But the sad reality is that 6% of children across the country don’t have their own book to read at home, and many don’t find reading enjoyable. Through the Young Readers Programme and the support of British Land, we are able to help so many more children have fun whilst reading outside the classroom, give them access to inspiring books and access to many benefits that they may otherwise be missing out on.”
