Orbital Shopping Park welcomed over 200 school children from Swindon Academy, Oliver Tomkins Primary and Hazelwood Academy for a storytelling session, aimed at helping them fall in love with reading.
Hosted at Orbital, the event allowed children to listen to stories from professional storyteller Olivia Armstrong and was part of the Young Readers Programme, an award-winning initiative sponsored by Orbital and run-in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, designed to encourage children to read outside of the classroom.
Olivia Armstrong has been writing and performing stories for decades, including performing at the Windsor Castle, British Museum, and Westminster Abbey.
During the literacy-focussed event, pupils from all three schools also entered a cookie pie design competition, hosted by independent bakery Sugar Shack, with a winner per class being baked and delivered to school, and 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 Orbital, it has supported more than 1500 school children and seen more than 4500 books donated across Swindon.
Research by the National Literacy Trust has shown that owning a book means children are more likely to say they enjoy reading and are more inclined to read in their free time. However, 6.5% of children in the UK do not own a book, which equates to half a million children across the country*. This rises to one in 10 (9.7%) children from disadvantaged backgrounds, which is the demographic this partnership aims to reach.
With reading for enjoyment proven to have a positive effect on children’s reading skill* as well as their wellbeing and mental health, the Young Readers Programme initiative aims to give support and help with the development of children in under privileged areas by giving them access to books.
Tom Mitchell, centre manager for Orbital Shopping Park, 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 nine years.
“It was brilliant to welcome the children from Swindon Academy, Oliver Tomkins Primary and Hazelwood Academy 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.”
Justin Tomlinson MP, who attended the event, said: “I am huge believer in the power of books to change lives, and I am keen to support any event which aims to get children reading. I was delighted to see how much the children enjoyed listening to Olivia and how engaged they were with the story – I really hope this enthusiasm will inspire them to continue reading.”
