£54,000 worth of books donated to Rochdale primary schools
We delivered more than £54,000 worth of books to 27 primary schools across Rochdale as part of our Your Story Corner Programme. This initiative aligns with our mission – in which we aim to install a whole-school reading culture in schools in disadvantaged areas and foster a love of reading among its pupils.
Why Rochdale?
Children in Rochdale are facing significant challenges when it comes to literacy, with a large number of pupils falling below the expected reading levels compared to the national average.
Poverty can play a major factor in this, and Rochdale has high levels of child poverty, with a high portion of children qualifying for Free School Meals – a key indicator of economic hardship.
43% of children aged 0 – 15 live in “relative poverty” in Rochdale, compared with a national average of 20%, which can mean many families struggle to provide the resources and support children need to thrive in school.
Your Story Corner Rochdale
We celebrated Your Story Corner expanding to Rochdale with a visit to Moorhouse Academy, where 11 children eagerly opened the deliveries containing 200 diverse and brand-new books and reading materials. The pupils were so excited to see the new editions in their library, with each child selecting their favourite book from the bundle.
We were also joined by children’s author and poet, Andy Seed, who did several workshops throughout the day to each year group.
From quizzing the children about wild animals and sea creatures, to exploring ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, Andy captivated the pupils’ imaginations through his creative storytelling and impressive props – he even brought in a life-sized Egyptian sarcophagus!
Moorhouse Academy were fantastic hosts for our visit to Rochdale to celebrate Your Story Corner. The school breathed books and reading and have embedded a reading culture into the school brilliantly.
About Andy
Andy is an author and poet, specialising in encouraging children to read for pleasure, with a particular emphasis on boys and reluctant readers.
He’s been writing books since early 2000s and was initially inspired by seeing author Wes Magee in action back in the late 90s. He said he loved the visit and was “inspired to write some snappy poems afterwards. [He] talked to Wes about being an author and he shared his love of the role. He gave [him] some tips and [he] decided to give it a go as [he] had written various poems [himself]. [He] got a few published that launched [his] writing career – in a modest way – before [he] moved onto creating factual books for children.”
Storytelling
Storytelling is an important skill that plays a huge role in day-to-day life. Andy believes we’re “all born with a need for stories – there’s a deep, stirring part of our souls which wants to be taken on journeys of imagination. For thousands of years humans sat around the fire and this, along with simple music, was our entertainment. It’s ancient, powerful, profound – and it helps us to remember and to learn about the world and grasp human nature. Hearing stories is a key part of childhood, as is reading stories, but we must all learn to tell them too – it’s the fundamental basis of communication. As always, young people learn best by immersion: they need to have stories around them constantly. This is one of the sadnesses of the digital age – looking has replaced listening, verbal telling, retelling, imagining.”
Humour and storytelling
Author of the popular ‘Interview with’ animal series, Andy’s books are known for their humour and engaging style. He said: “The humour reflects my personality (I’ve always enjoyed a giggle) and, of course, children love funny things. It seemed natural to me to add a sense of fun to everything I write, and I can make text engaging by employing my understanding of children… I think this style resonates well with my young audience because it feeds them the things that they are hungry for: facts, fun, silliness, new knowledge about interesting subjects and a kind of chatty style that is far removed from the dry confines of academic learning.”
Facts and storytelling
He also writes historical books that are packed full of packs, while being presented in a fun and engaging way. Balancing factual accuracy and storytelling in this case is essential, and it’s something that Andy says has become “instinctive after years of writing for children and working with them – reading and sharing excerpts, hearing/seeing their feedback, watching their reactions”.
Andy believes it’s so important for stories to draw readers in, he said, “facts keep them feeling a wow factor and humour creates a warm, fuzzy feeling.” He’s noticed this could be why his books are particularly popular amongst reluctant readers.
Inspiring young readers
School visits are a highlight of Andy’s writing career, offering a chance to get children excited about his books. He said, “I love meeting enthusiastic children, getting them excited about books, telling them good stories and fun facts, and showing them that reading can really take you places.”
Why literacy matters
Andy believes that becoming a keen reader at a young age is “a life-changing event.” It builds knowledge, empathy and critical skills which set children up for success. “Children who read are in general cleverer and more resourceful than those who don’t. They are typically happier, healthier, better informed, and go on to do well at school and get better jobs.”
That’s why our literacy programmes are so important for opening doors to children who may otherwise be left behind. With the shocking news that one in eight children aged five-to-eight don’t own a book of their own at home, our Your Story Corner programme ensures children get access to the resources they need to thrive.
Andy said that books and libraries are “engines of social mobility” and every child deserves the chance to discover where reading can take them.
