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Forest has a reading library in their centre, where
players regularly attend and read with children. The
youth academy uses the centre so this provides excellent
opportunities for children to meet the next Jermaine
Jenas! Nottingham has some of the lowest literacy levels
in the country, and the club worked with 100 children
in their first year of running RIF.
The club also ran Kick
into Reading in early 2006, and have continued to
run the programme in their local library themselves.
In the winter term of 2006, a Nottingham school received
a visit from then Reading Champion Jon-Paul
Pittman. The Book Café at Ellis Guilford School
and Sports College was designed to encourage reluctant
readers in Year 7 to engage in reading, using the motivational
power of fun reading-related activities. Jon-Paul answered
questions from pupils, parents and staff about his love
of reading.
On Thursday 2nd March 2006, the Playing for Success
Study Centre hosted the launch of 500 World Book Day
balloons. The balloons were released on the pitch by
first team player and Reading Champion James
Perch. He was helped by Year 2 pupils from Greenfields
Community School who were presented with a Nottingham
Forest shirt and a goody bag. Each balloon carried a
card which could be filled in and returned to win a
£50 National book token.
The study centre manager reported
on one of their events from 2004,
"70 pupils participated in a poetry workshop day based
around football. It was a wonderfully inspiring day
with the emphasis on enjoyment and fun, exploring the
enriching possibilities that writing offers. David Harmer
was the poet, we can thoroughly recommend him."
For 2004-2005 they provided free books for a further
60 children.
In a January 2005 distribution all pupils received
one of their free RIF books at a study support session.
Activities completed were poems based on reading, a
Classroom Performance System book quiz and a personalised
bookmark. James
Perch came along to help children from Top Valley
choose their books.
Forest have asked many of their pupils, volunteers
and players to comment on their favourite book, and
to host a debate about this on their 'Connect FC' server.
This allows pupils from Leicester City, Tigers and Cricket
club, West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City, and Crystal
Palace to tell everyone what their favourite book is
and why.
Forest's RIF project is currently on hold.
Reading Champions: James
Perch (pdf),
Paul Smith (pdf)
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