LIBRARIES across Warrington are seeking young volunteers, aged 14 to 24, to help with this year’s Summer Reading Challenge supported by The Reading Agency.
Volunteers are needed to help with activities and events for the summer challenge, which has been designed to feed young people’s imagination over the summer holiday, with a reading challenge focused on science and innovation.
This year’s theme – ‘Gadgeteers’ – will spark children’s curiosity about the world around them. With resources and activities from the Science Museum Group, the challenge focuses on inspiring children to see the science and innovation behind everyday objects, showing that reading and science are for everyone.
Free packs from local libraries
The challenge and the accompanying book collection will show that imagination can unlock endless possibilities, and the library is where this starts. Through taking part in the challenge, with free packs from Warrington libraries or on The Reading Agency’s children’s website, children will be able to join six fictional ‘Gadgeteers.’ The characters use their curiosity and wonder to understand the science behind a whole range of interests from fashion and technology to cooking and music.
The Summer Reading Challenge reaches over 700,000 children across the UK each year and is delivered in partnership with public libraries. The challenge continued to reach well over half a million children across the UK in 2021 as lockdowns eased, motivating children to keep reading during a difficult time. Families shared with The Reading Agency the ways that taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge helped their children to enjoy reading more, feel more confident about reading and ‘feel better’ during a tough period. Family use of libraries also increased amongst challenge participants, with more than 130,000 children joining the library as new members.
By providing fun reading activities, the challenge will support families and teachers by providing free-to-access recreation and learning resources – all created to keep children inspired to read. The digital Summer Reading Challenge platform will encourage children with limited physical access to the library to take part in the challenge.
Rachel Ralston, LiveWire’s Strategic Library Manager, said: “We’re looking for book-loving volunteers to join our challenge. You’ll be involved in all the fun activities we have lined-up and get the chance to take part in inspiring others to take part.
“What better way to encourage the children of Warrington to get reading throughout the summer months, while making new friends and having fun!”
