Promote Your School is proud to support Waterstones Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell’s ‘Life-Changing Libraries’ Initiative.
The ‘Life-Changing Libraries’ project is part of a collective effort to raise awareness of the importance of reading in schools. It’s a sad reality that many schools have little or no library provision for their pupils. For example, 1 in 8 Primary Schools does not have a dedicated library.
Also, children on free school meals are twice as likely to attend a school that doesn’t have a library. This means, there are many children who are missing out on the life-changing power of reading. All because their school cannot afford, or isn’t able to prioritise, a library.
Life-Changing Libraries for schools
Cressida Cowell has written an open letter to the UK Government. In her letter, she’s requesting £100m per year to renew deteriorating libraries at schools across the country. She also discusses the life-changing potential of reading. And she stresses that childhood reading is a better indication of a child’s future success than their family’s socio-economic status.
Children are more likely to succeed in life if they’re able to read for pleasure . In fact, a reader for pleasure is more likely to be happier, healthier and do better at school.
A recent Guardian article said that, “Boris Johnson is reportedly set to unveil a “four-year emergency” plan for literacy next month, with the Sunday Times reporting that more than 200,000 pupils are set to enter secondary school this autumn without being able to read properly – a rise of 30,000 since last year.”
The project
As well as an awareness of reading, the ‘Life-Changing Libraries’ project will make an active difference in schools. In fact, six schools in the UK will receive a brand new dedicated library.
Pupils will benefit from a beautiful, safe and well stocked library. Here they can enjoy reading for pleasure and explore the boundless magic of books!
This project has brought together a group of dedicated volunteers, suppliers and charities to make it happen.
Support and sponsorship
Promote Your School is delighted to be able to support the project. We will donate bespoke Wall Art for each of the six school libraries.
Why Wall Art? Our Wall Art is proven to boost pupils’ outcomes. Also, our literacy themes help spark natural curiosity and an interest in reading.
Co-founder and Director of Promote Your School, Lisa Savage, explains,
“We are so pleased to support this fantastic initiative and donate our services. Our contribution will include design by our in-house team, print and installation within each library. As an ex-teacher, I’ve seen first-hand the huge role that reading plays in children’s lives. Reading fuels imagination, escapism and opportunity. I believe access to plentiful reading opportunities is a necessity, not a luxury, for every child.”
A few of the other sponsors and providers include;
- CLPE, Reading Cloud, who are providing a library management system subscription for each school;
- FG Library and Learning, who are helping refresh spaces with furniture and display products;
- Rising Stars Reading Planet
- Tonies, who are providing each school a Toniebox
- Leading UK publishers, who are donating books to stock the new library spaces
More information about the Life-Changing Libraries project
Follow us on Twitter to get the latest updates about our involvement
Read The Guardian article
Watch the video of Cressida Cowell reading her open letter to the Government
