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Extra Time Study Support Centre makes reading
FUNdamental!
At the beginning of September 2004, Everton Football Club celebrated
their two-year partnership with the National Literacy Trust with
the help of Marcus Bent, Li Tie, Graeme Sharp and the Everton Football
Club staff.
The successful Reading The Game and Premier League Reading Stars
projects, which began over a year ago in partnership with Liverpool
libraries, was recently extended to include the Reading Is FUNdamental
project at Everton's Extra Time Study Support Centre.
Centre Manager, Abigail Williams said: "This is a wonderful
opportunity to work in partnership with lots of organisations who
share the same educational goals. Everyone has shown great enthusiasm
and commitment to making this a very successful project."
"We now have many Club staff as nominated Reading Champions,
as well as defender David Weir, who support the young people with
reading. The first team are also involved in creating an Everton
team reading list, which we hope will inspire many Evertonian's
to get involved with the project."
60 young people from The Beacon, Norman Pannell, and Northcote Primary
Schools are participating in the project this term. Several more
primaries and secondary schools from across Liverpool will be added
throughout 2005.
Since September, Extra Time has given out over 180 reading books
to these young people in Liverpool and with the kind support of
Bloomsbury Publishing over 100 more books have been donated to the
project.
Through additional funding from the Arts Council, Extra Time has
provided opportunities for these young people to also meet with
their favourite authors and illustrators from around the globe.
Children's author, June Vernau, worked with the children in September
creating fantastic stories about football players being abducted
by aliens or playing in intergalactic football matches!!
Charlie aged 10, from Norman Pannell primary school said "Extra
Time has been fun and I enjoyed writing stories about aliens!"
Centre Teacher, Lesley Gwyther said: "The visiting authors
have shown the children that writing stories can also be great fun,
many of the children have been inspired and I have seen some budding
young talent develop both skills and confidence during this project"
Many teachers and governors from the schools agree that the project
has encouraged the young people to read.
Rose Lloyd, Governor from the Beacon Primary School said: "The
children have developed greater confidence to read by participating
in the project."
The project continues with visits to local libraries and a visit
from children's author Tom Palmer who will visit Larkhill Library
with the young people and run a football writing workshop.
The project will culminate in a grand celebration event, to be
held at Central Library in December. The celebration event will
include a visit from another author and illustrator, Tony Ross,
who will speak to the children about their new-found passion for
books before presenting them with their free books.
Centre Teacher, Lesley Gwyther said: "Many of the children
have discovered a passion for reading. It has been truly amazing
to watch the children develop over a period of weeks, encouraged
by the enthusiasm of all the staff and players at Goodison Park
who have participated in the project by spending time reading to
the children and encouraging the children to read aloud."
Richard aged 9, from The Beacon Primary School said: "I learned
that reading is fun! Thank you Extra Time!"
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