National Literacy Trust Invites Families to Discover 1000 Free Books Across Eldon Square for World Book Day
Families are invited by the National Literacy Trust to join a Big Story Hunt at Newcastle City Centre shopping and dining destination Eldon Square, between 10 am and 3 pm on Saturday 4 March, to celebrate World Book Day®. This is part of the National Literacy Trust’s campaign to deliver World Book Day® books to families who may struggle to otherwise access them.
The public scavenger hunt, The Big Story Hunt, is in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust’s local campaign, Read North East, and invites families with children aged 0 – 12 to hunt for books hidden all over the shopping centre. Once they discover a book, it is theirs to take home for free or swap it for another title at the Read North East stand found in St Andrew’s Way.
The event gives families the opportunity to develop a lifelong love of books and reading and improve their literacy levels. 1 in 15 children in the North East don’t have a book of their own at home, and families who are struggling financially may not even be able to access a bookshop to spend their child’s World Book Day token. The National Literacy Trust are taking the £1 books out of bookshops and directly to families, offering 1000 free books in Eldon Square alone to ensure every child can join in the celebrations.
As many families across the region experience the heightened cost of living crisis, this work is more important than ever. Having access to books and reading for pleasure supports children’s literacy skills. Literacy skills will not just help a child succeed in school, but throughout their adult life: it gives them more opportunities in the job market; as a parent, it can give them the tools to support their own child’s learning; it can even affect their mental wellbeing and life expectancy. High literacy skills can even help break the intergenerational cycle of poverty that many families face.
Children who don’t find a hidden book can visit the Read North East stand between 10 am – 4 pm, where they can also select a free book of their choice, kindly gifted by World Book Day as part of their partnership with the National Literacy Trust. Families are encouraged to follow @ReadNorthEast and @EldonSquare on Facebook for updates about the event and clues to where the books are hidden.
James Kingett, Programme Manager for the Read North East campaign said; “Tackling the problem of low literacy rates in the North East affects every part of our society and needs a collaborative approach to address it. We are proud to be working with Eldon Square to make books more accessible to local families, bringing the World Book Day celebrations to them. Having access to books can set children up with the literacy skills they need to succeed, and a lack of these vital skills will have a knock-on effect at every stage of a child’s life. At Read North East, we are committed to getting books into the hands of children who need them the most, on World Book Day and every other day of the year.”
Naomi Osborne, Acting Marketing Manager at Eldon Square, said: “We are incredibly proud to be part of the vibrant North East region, and we are delighted to be able to support the National Literacy Trust’s mission to improve literacy levels in the area. The Big Story Hunt is a fun and free way for children to engage with books and discover a love of reading as well as providing our family visitors with a unique experience. We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with The National Literacy Trust again this year with what is sure to be a popular event for both children and adults alike.”
For more details head over to the Eldon Square blog here.
