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London Literacy Champions recognised at City Hall
29 May 2012
Families and volunteers from across the capital are today (Tuesday 29 May) visiting City Hall in recognition of their involvement in an innovative National Literacy Trust project, Literacy Champions, which is funded by the Mayor of London.
The initiative is part of Team London, the Mayor's strategy to harness volunteers from across the capital to deliver key projects to improve the quality of life and opportunities of Londoners.
Literacy Champions aims to help the one London child in three that struggles with literacy. In the last year more than 450 volunteers have become Literacy Champions to show parents how they can support their children’s literacy development. 859 families from disadvantaged areas in 19 boroughs have benefited from the project so far.
The scheme supports parents over a course of five weeks, encouraging them to share books with their children and introducing them to fun learning activities they can take part in with their child.
Emerging findings indicate that parents feel more confident about sharing books with their child and about visiting the library as a result of the project. Parents have reported an increase in the number of times they visit the library and share a book with their child in an average week.
Munira Mirza, Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture, who is attending the event today said:
It’s incredibly important for London's future that children get the best start in life and can excel in the classroom. However, this is impossible if they do not have basic language and learning skills. This initiative has helped make reading fun and accessible, and given that much-needed support for children in some of the capital’s most disadvantaged areas.
Alexisse from Croydon is one parent celebrating her involvement in the programme. She worked with her volunteer Esha. She says:
Reading with my son was something I wasn’t confident to do as a parent – it was a burden to me, another thing I had to do on top of everything else. But this has been really good! It’s pushed me to do more reading, and now we’re doing lots of reading at home. I had never been to the library before but now I have joined and go regularly with the children.
National Literacy Trust Director, Jonathan Douglas said:
Each year, hundreds of children in London enter education struggling with the basic language and learning skills needed to succeed in the classroom. Literacy Champions has demonstrated that friends, neighbours and other community members can help parents support the literacy of their children. This is particularly important for parents who don’t feel confident using services such as libraries.
The project will continue to reach families in London until the end of July and the National Literacy Trust plans to expand the programme nationally.
Ends.
Notes to editors
About London Literacy Champions
London Literacy Champions is a Team London project funded by the Mayor of London and the Reuben Foundation, delivered by the National Literacy Trust in partnership with London local authorities.
The project aims to boost parents’ confidence in supporting their children’s literacy development by engaging volunteers from communities across 19 authorities in London: Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Wandsworth.
Team London
Team London is the Mayor’s ambitious programme to mobilise an army of volunteers across the capital to improve life in London through programmes that will reduce crime, increase opportunities for youth and improve quality of life by cleaning and greening London and building stronger neighbourhoods. Since 2008, the Mayor's programmes have galvanised tens of thousands of Londoners into action and Team London is now seeking to encourage additional volunteers. Please visit www.london.gov.uk/teamlondon for more information, to find and post volunteering opportunities, and to nominate your volunteering heroes for a certificate of recognition from the Mayor.
