Business leaders in Nottingham have balanced the books in a very different way today as part of a charity reading event.

Councillor Sam Webster, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health at Nottingham City Council, invited some of the leading firms in the city to a Business And Books – Big Breakfast.

The event, which took place this morning at Loxley House in Station Street, saw pupils from Blue Bell Hill Primary School, in St Ann’s, sit down and have a story read to them by a local business leader.

The event aimed to highlight the importance of early literacy skills in children, as well as helping to raise funds for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library – which provides a free book every month to children from birth to aged five.

The scheme, supported by the City Council, Rotary Club of Nottingham, Small Steps Big Changes and Castle Cavendish, now has more than 4,000 local children signed up. It runs in nine wards in the City and more than 100,000 books have been distributed since 2009. But more funds are needed to extend the scheme to every child in the Nottingham. It’s easy to donate to this important book gifting charity here www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/businessandbooks

Councillor Webster said: “I spent a few years at the Council having responsibility for education and skills in Nottingham, so I know how important literacy is to the future of our children.

“A huge part of this is encouraging and nurturing a love of books from a young age – reading is often the gateway to so many other forms of learning.

“This is where the Dolly Parton Imagination Library comes in. This charity has done fantastic work in the City since 2009 and it’s so encouraging to know that we now have more than 4,000 local children signed up across almost half the wards in the city, and more than 100,000 books distributed in that time.

“Business leaders in Nottingham can be really influential in terms of helping to spread the word about reading. The children really enjoyed having a story read to them and I’m confident our business community understand why books are so vital to boosting the prospects of young people in the City.”