After teaming up last year with The Bookery, we’re donating a further £500 towards its schools outreach work to support and encourage reading.
The Bookery (formerly Crediton Community Bookshop) is a not-for-profit community-owned independent bookshop & creative hub. They have been serving schools in Crediton and across Devon, with author tours and book activities for the last 8 years.
They set up a school’s outreach programme after discovering that a third of children cannot afford to buy books whilst many do not have any at home. We have since been working together to provide books for children in schools of Okehampton.
Cathie Holden from the schools team said: “We are passionate about the power of books to change lives and know that there is a direct link between reading for pleasure, academic achievement and emotional wellbeing. We also know that there are many children in Devon who do not own books and many who do not read for pleasure.
As part of our outreach work we take authors into schools. Meeting a ‘real author’ can inspire children, especially if they can go away with their very own copy of the author’s book: teachers tell us this can be just the catalyst for engaging children with reading. The Bookery is delighted to be working in partnership with Redrow by providing every child in year 5 with a copy of Emma Carroll’s new book, ‘The Little Match Girl Strikes Back’, when she visited Okehampton Primary School on September 22nd. This ensures each child can find out ‘what happens next’, and be introduced to Emma Carroll’s inspiring range of children’s fiction in person. This was an exciting and inspiring event for 100 school children!”
Sally Huxen, Co-Principal of Okehampton Primary said: “We are delighted to receive this support from The Bookery and Redrow. Reading for pleasure is a priority for our school and progress in reading has significant impact on a child’s ability to learn across the curriculum. We are incredibly grateful for this generous donation which we know will have a real impact on outcomes for our children.”
Area Sales Manager Kevin Bradford, says: “Children’s education was heavily impacted during the pandemic. As we recover from the closure of schools and the knock on impact of home learning challenges, it is particularly important that we focus on children who sit at the heart of Okehampton’s thriving community.
“At Redrow we are passionate about supporting the wellbeing of those local communities and their future. Children’s education is absolutely paramount to this. We hope the children enjoy getting lost in books, and this love to reading helps them thrive.”
This is not our first time supporting local initiatives and events in Okehampton. We have recently provided a donation to cover food, drinks and personalised bears at a Jubilee party organised by residents on the Romansfield development, as well as sponsoring the local Guide Dogs of Okehampton.
The Romansfield development is just 40 minutes from Exeter with great travel routes to Plymouth. Also situated by Dartmouth National Park, its family friendly two, three and four bedroom homes provide a perfect balance of town and country living.
Find further information on the Romansfield development here Romansfield | 5* New Build homes in Okehampton | Redrow
