On Friday 28 April, Nick Gibb launched a new campaign, ‘Read to Succeed’ at River Beach Primary School in Littlehampton.
The reading challenge for Year 4 pupils across Bognor Regis and Littlehampton was inspired by Nick’s Parliamentary colleague, Steve Barclay, who ran a similar initiative in Cambridgeshire. The aim is to encourage children to keep reading over the summer holidays.
Nick is inviting local businesses and the wider community to make a donation of funds, prizes or the books themselves so that every year 4 pupil in his constituency receives a book to enjoy. Year 4 was chosen because it is the age (8-9 years old) when many children start to read independently.
Each book will include a token for the child to take to their local library to sign up for the library’s Summer Reading Challenge, which runs across the country. Participants in the scheme will have the chance to win exciting prizes for themselves and their classmates.
There have already been generous donations of books and prizes from local businesses including Ash Smart of Harbour Park, Amanda Hewitt and Silvia Maximo of Parker PpTek, Dr John Mason from the South Downs Planetarium and the Earl of March. The launch at River Beach was an opportunity to thank them and encourage other businesses and parents to get involved.
Mr Gibb said, “Learning to read independently is one of the most important things a child can do to set them up for later life. I am launching Read to Succeed across Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to help further improve the reading fluency of local children over the summer holidays. Schools do a wonderful job reading with children in class but it is important that children keep this up over the long summer break.
“Here in West Sussex, we have an excellent library service and one of the highest participation numbers of the library Summer Reading Challenge in the country.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our generous donors and also Mrs Judy Grevett, Head Teacher at River Beach Primary School, for hosting us today. I am always impressed with the commitment to reading at River Beach when I visit the school.
“I hope all the students here today will enjoy their free book and be inspired to read at home over the holidays.”
If you would like to donate, you can order the books direct from our Waterstones wishlist at https://www.waterstones.com/booklist/328917/nick-gibb-read-to-succeed straight to the constituency office at 2 Flansham Business Centre, Hoe Lane, Flansham, Bognor Regis, PO22 8NJ.
Pictured: Nick Gibb with children from River Beach Primary School, Littlehampton.
Also pictured left to right: Amanda Hewitt from Parker PpTek, Silvia Maximo from Parker Kittiwake, Nick Gibb and Ash Smart from Harbour Park.