More than 245 primary school children from Ealing have taken part in storytelling sessions at Ealing Broadway shopping centre as part of a project to help inspire a love of reading.
The event was organised and hosted by Ealing Broadway shopping centre as part of the Young Readers Programme which has been created by centre owner British Land and the National Literacy Trust to encourage children to read outside of the classroom.
According to the National Literacy Trust only 40% of children and young people from Ealing say they enjoy reading in their free time.
The pupils from Oldfield Primary, West Twyford Primary and West Acton Primary saw a performance from a professional storyteller and took part in a range of activities including a quiz in Ealing Library and viewings of movie trailers in the Ealing Project cinema.
Each child was also given a book of their choice to take home for free.
The initiative, which is in its 13th year, has seen in Ealing more than 2,804 school children take part and more than 8,400 books donated.
Andrew Rollings, centre director at Ealing Broadway said: “It’s such a rewarding initiative, hearing how the children are inspired by the stories and activities and seeing just how excited they are to take their own book home. This is a programme that really makes a difference and we’re so pleased to be a part of it for another brilliant year.”
Martin Galway, head of school programmes at the National Literacy Trust said: “Our goal is to inspire a love of books and reading that will stay with them forever, which in turn will provide them with essential literacy and life skills they need to succeed and reach their own goals.”
