More than 6,300 children have taken part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge at South Gloucestershire libraries, reading more than 117,000 books during the school summer holidays.
This summer, libraries and The Reading Agency partnered with The Youth Sport Trust for Ready, Set, Read!, a sports, games and play themed challenge to highlight the positive impact that reading, keeping active and having fun have on a child’s development.
Primary school children from across South Gloucestershire took part by reading books throughout the holidays and collected incentives including free swim vouchers and Ready, Set, Read! seeds. There was also a mini challenge = designed for pre-school children to help prepare them for their first day at school.
To celebrate the success of everyone who took part this year, the Chair of South Gloucestershire Council, Councillor Mike Drew,met a group of local children and presented them with their Summer Reading Challenge medals and certificates.
Councillor Drew said: “It’s outstanding that over 6,000 children in South Gloucestershire have taken part in the Summer Reading Challenge 2023, Ready, Set, Read! Children’s reading can dip during the long summer holidays, but taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge at the library really helps children to boost their reading ability and develop a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure. It has been great to meet some of the children and their families who have taken part this year. ”
Summer Reading Challenge volunteers have been on hand to encourage and support children taking part. To recognise their contribution, volunteers were also awarded certificates.