A CHARITY that provides babies and toddlers in one of Bradford’s most deprived areas with free books has registered over 1,000 families.

In September Canterbury Imagine, based on the Canterbury estate, will have been operating for four years.

Inspired by a charity set up by country music superstar Dolly Parton, the Imagine project provides children with a free book every month from the day they are born to their fifth birthday.

Since it was set up in 2012 by Jan Winter, the charity has registered 1,100 children in Canterbury, sending out hundreds of books every month.

In April 2014 a second scheme was set up in Manningham, based at the Midland Road Children’s Centre, and it recently celebrated its second anniversary.

The charity also provides free books to children in council care.

Next month the charity will be sending out 935 books to children in the Canterbury area, 290 books to children in Manningham and 117 to children in council care.

The charity aims to help improve literacy, emotional development, educational attainment and life chances for the under-fives. Children who have been registered since their birth will end up with a library of up to 60 age-appropriate books.

Dolly Parton started Imagination in 1996, providing free books to every child in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up. It has since become a global movement, with over 40 million books sent out to children across the world.

Mrs Winter said: “Things are going really well, we’ve registered over 1,100 children on the Canterbury estate since we set up.

“A lot of people in the area live in a poor situation, and a lot are in households where there might not be a culture of having lots of books in the house. This is a way of bringing books into the home and allowing children to grow up surrounded by books.

“Being involved and getting age-appropriate books gives these families a confidence they might not have had before in raising their children.

“We are still looking for funding, and getting more sponsorship would be great. We’re really grateful to everyone who provides us with grants. You can see the value of them, all the money we get is spent on books for the children.

“I believe that big things are made up of lots of small things, and literacy is one of the things that provides a way out of poverty.

“If you have those skills you have a much better chance of succeeding.”

And as part of its Grand Gestures scheme to support good causes, Grand Central Rail has awarded the charity £250.

It will enable Canterbury Imagine to provide two children with a book every month until they reach the age of five.