A BRADFORD retail park hosted schoolchildren for a literacy-themed event designed to inspire them to develop a love of reading.

Children from Green Lane Primary School, Barkerend Primary School and Killinghall Primary School were treated to a storytelling session and fun, educational activities with staff from Mothercare, Early Learning and Pets At Home, based at Forster Square Retail Park. The schools were also given £100 of vouchers to purchase new books for their libraries.

The event was part of the Young Readers Programme, an initiative delivered by the National Literacy Trust in partnership with Forster Square and owner, British Land. The programme motivates children under the age of 11 to read for enjoyment, outside of the classroom. Children are taught how to choose books they will enjoy and are then given the chance to choose three books to take home for free.

Delwar Hussein, Assistant Head Teacher at Green Lane Primary, said: “The Young Readers Programme is a great way to help inspire children to read for fun, which in turn helps them to develop life-long skills.

“My class thoroughly enjoyed choosing their books and I’m looking forward to seeing the positive influence the programme has on their attitude towards reading when we get back in the classroom.”

Last year, one in three children (43 per cent) in Bradford left primary school unable to read at the level expected for their age. New research from the National Literacy Trust shows that the longer children can keep an enjoyment of reading going, the greater the benefits are for them in the classroom. Ten-year-olds who enjoy reading have a reading age 1.3 years higher than their peers who don’t enjoy reading, rising to 2.1 years for 12-year-olds.

Catherine Furlong, Centre Manager at Forster Square, said: “Supporting the local community is something we’re passionate about. It was fantastic to see our staff and retailers get involved in the storytelling event, helping to get the children really excited about reading and discovering new books.”

Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust, said: “We know that reading for pleasure is one of the most effective ways to help children reach their full potential. With the support of British Land and its shopping centres and retailers across the UK, our Young Readers Programme has helped more than 19,000 children choose books they can enjoy and keep.

“Literacy underpins the long-term wellbeing and prosperity of every community, so encouraging children to read for fun is an important step towards boosting literacy levels in Bradford. We’re thrilled to be bringing the programme to Forster Square for the third year running.”