The Nottingham Imagination Library is to get a £150,000 funding boost from the City Council as it reaches a major milestone with 600,000 free books delivered to under-fives in the city.
The scheme has supported thousands of children in the city by sending a free, age-appropriate book each month from birth to age five, providing a proven boost to early literacy and school readiness and helping children start school with stronger language and reading skills.
The initiative began in 2009 through the Dolly Parton Foundation and was formally launched in Bilborough in 2012 through a partnership between the Council and the Rotary Club of Nottingham.
Currently the scheme prioritises children in certain wards across the city including, Bilborough, Aspley and Bulwell and Radford with nearly 3,000 children registered to receive books. The latest ward to be included is Bestwood where over 100 babies have been registered to receive books since September last year.
Now an extra £150,000 is to be provided by the Council as part of £7.6 million programme of investment in the key services which matter most to Nottingham people which would enable 5,700 children to start the scheme
Councillor David Mellen, Executive Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism, said:
“Reaching 600,000 books is a fantastic achievement. These books will have helped thousands of children develop a love of reading and supported their early learning.
“We’re proud of how the Imagination Library has grown, thanks to the generosity of sponsors and fundraisers. But our ambition remains to reach every child in the city.
“The additional £150,000 being provided by the Council will give the scheme a major boost but we still very much welcome any donations residents and businesses. Just £2 helps provide a book, and £125 supports a child for five years.”
Councillor Cheryl Barnard who was installed as the Lord Mayor of Nottingham on Monday and is also a Trustee of the Nottingham Imagination Library has chosen it as one of her Lord Mayor’s Charities for the coming year.
Donations can be made at: Nottingham Imagination Library