The Harlow basic skills project has a cradle to grave approach to improving the levels of bask skills of pre-school children, school age pupils and adults, employed and unemployed. Storysacks bridges the gap between the Books for Babies project and the literacy and numeracy strategies in schools. Director Maureen Banley explains: "We wanted to encourage parents and carers of two to four-year-olds to see the benefits of books and reading to their children."

Storysacks provided an opportunity to involve employers in an innovative way. There was already considerable support for the Harlow basic skills project from large employers Any storysacks seemed a good way to get small and medium-size companies on board. Particular types of businesses were targeted, including restaurants. Letters were written and follow up phone calls and visits from an enthusiastic coordinator proved that persistence paid off. About 70-80 books were distributed amongst small businesses and voluntary organisations in Harlow who responded positively to help with the storysacks project.

After receiving training employees were invited to make storysacks on work premises or if they preferred, join a team. Some companies could not spare the staff and instead gave options to sponsor a sack, which their the company's name put on it. Making storysacks needs a bit of imagination and sewing skills, and involves everyone, men and women. Getting employers to support the storysacks project has opened the door for Harlow basic skills project staff to go back at a later stage and talk about basic skills. Some employers have already asked the project to deliver some basic skills awareness training for their employees. Storysacks can help organisations see whether providing books around specialist topics can support their own service delivery objectives. For example, the project has linked with social services to produce storysacks around the theme of child abuse. The project provided the training in how to use the sacks so that social services professionals could use them to get across serious messages to parents and carers in a fun and imaginative way as well as introducing them to the value of sharing books with their children.

One of the concerns in running a project with short-term funding (Harlow storysacks is a DCMS/Wolfson-funded project) is long-term sustainability. The success of using storysacks has encouraged the new Harlow study support manager responsible for promoting after school support for learning, to introduce them to schools. Early years teacher will be helped. to train parents of reception and nursery children in how to use storysacks - work which will continue after the original project has finished.

Seeing the potential of using storysacks in other settings is not difficult. Having the funding and connections to make it happen is another matter. One of the strengths of the Harlow bask skills project is having a director whose job it is to make the links with others who can contribute to the aims of the project. Maureen Hanley is working closely with Harlow On-Line Learning Initiative (HOLLI), managed by Harlow College. Another contact she has made is with the early years development teams who will be involved in the next round of training for storysacks, linked to the early years goals. The project will provide the opportunity to communicate to non-education professionals the importance of sharing books and stories with very young children.
 

The Harlow Storysacks Project is a partnership venture between the Harlow basic skills project (part of Harlow 2020 partnership Single Regeneration Budget) and Essex libraries and is funded through the Department for Culture Media and Sport/Wolfson Fund and the Harlow Basic skills project.

 
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