Family Hubs across Stoke-on-Trent will be enhancing their offer to families with the introduction of community book collections, starting on World Book Day (Thursday 7 March).
Stoke-on-Trent Libraries will work with the Family Hubs to provide a wide range of books for younger readers while also catering for parents who enjoy reading. Community Book Collections will be available at Bentilee and Westfield (Normacot) Family Hubs as well as Thomas Boughey (Shelton) and Stoke North (Chell Heath) Children’s Centres. This will complement the recent introduction of library memberships in Family Hubs, continuing the city council’s commitment to giving children in Stoke-on-Trent the best start and increasing reading levels.
Councillor Sarah Hill, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said:
“Family Hubs already provide residents with a whole range of services under one roof and it’s great news that this offer is continuing to expand. Community book collections will allow families in the city to access books at the same time as the council, health and community services they are already accessing in our Family Hubs.
“Reading to a child is one of the best gifts family members can give, encouraging a love of reading for pleasure that can last a lifetime. According to the National Literacy Trust reading to children improves not just vocabulary but self-esteem, imagination and even their sleep. We’re committed to providing early intervention support to children across the city and this is part of that.”
Stoke-on-Trent Libraries will also be hosting the following storytelling sessions on Saturday 9 March 2024 to celebrate World Book Day:
- Storytelling with Sophia Hatfield at Bentilee Library – 10:30am
- Storytelling with Dominic Berry at City Central Library – 10:30am
- Storytelling with Pyn Stockman at Stoke Library – 10:30am
- Storytelling with Alan Barrett at Tunstall Library – 10:30am
All of these activities will be supplemented with activity sessions from Stoke-on-Trent Family Hubs between 12pm and 1pm.
Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said:
“This is an exciting extension of our library offer in the community, which will give more families access to books and encourage them to join their local library. We know that reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success so making access to books easier for families will only support our key aims of early support to help prevent families from going into crisis.
“Our libraries help to create healthier communities, as social groups and activities will only improve residents’ mental health. They are a free resource for anyone who lives, works or studies in Stoke-on-Trent. Studies have shown that children who reading regularly have better chances in education and employment thus improving their chances of meeting their full potential.”
Find out the opening time of your Stoke-on-Trent Family Hub here - https://familyhub.stoke.gov.uk/
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