Supermarket donates books to inspire Mansfield Woodhouse pupils during unsettling times
St Edmunds C of E Primary School received a variety of new books thanks to the Morrisons Foundation, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
The donation came after a recent study conducted by the National Literacy Trust showed that reading has provided a vital refuge for children during the ongoing lockdowns.
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Hide AdAmanda Hamilton, Community Champion from the Morrisons store in Mansfield Woodhouse, delivered the books to the school.
She said: “I’m so proud to be helping kids in my community through this donation of books.
"We are living through challenging times and I hope these stories will give children at St Edmunds some fun and enjoyment.”
The recent study showed that 59 per cent of children said reading during lockdown made them feel better, 32 per cent said it helped them when they felt sad that they could not see their family and friends, and 50 per cent of children said that reading inspired them to dream about the future beyond Covid-19.
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Hide AdSt Edmunds is one of 497 schools throughout England, Scotland and Wales to receive one of the book bundles, which includes The Extraordinary Life of Amelia Earhart by Sheila Kanani and The Racehorse Who Learned to Dance by Clare Balding.
The initiative aims to encourage children to discover a love of reading and, over the past three years, Morrisons Community Champions have shared out 20,000 books with schools in their local communities.
David Scott, Morrisons Foundation trustee, said: “We’re delighted to team up with the National Literacy Trust again to provide books to thousands of pupils across the UK.
"We hope these books for school libraries in our local communities will give enjoyment to children and help to boost their literacy skills.”
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Hide AdJonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, added: “Books have the power to change children’s life stories and the books provided through this fantastic initiative will also provide inspiration and comfort during this continued time of uncertainty."