A LITERACY charity which gifts books to young children in Bradford has celebrated its anniversary with a special party.

Canterbury Imagine started four years ago and is now sending out more than 1,200 free books a month to under-fives.

It started on the Canterbury estate and next month will give 944 books to youngsters in that part of the city.

The area’s children’s centre, on Basil Street, hosted the party and welcomed more than 40 youngsters and their parents.

Jan Winter runs Canterbury Imagine, which aims to help improve literacy, emotional development, educational attainment and life chances for children in some of the most deprived parts of the district.

Families which sign up receive free books through the post, addressed to the child, from birth until their fifth birthday.

The children build up their own ‘imagination library’ of up to 60 quality books suitable for their age and staff at the children’s centres work to encourage families to share books.

Mrs Winter said: "Literacy is a way out of poverty.

"Building a love of reading early in the lives of children will pay dividends as they progress through school and into adult life.

"Our fourth birthday party was wonderful as parents told us of the benefit they and their children have seen from having the books every month for four year now.

"The scheme is so popular with families and education professionals alike, offering quality age-appropriate books right into the children’s homes."

Canterbury Imagine also runs a scheme based around the Midland Road nursery school and children’s centre in Manningham.

That project started two years ago and has attracted support from neighbouring Bradford City Football Club.

Next month, 326 books will be given out in that area.

The charity is affiliated to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and was the first imagination library in West Yorkshire.

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 more than 40 million books sent to children across the world.

It costs the scheme £25 to pay for a book every month for a year for one child.

The project has received a grant from Sovereign Health Care Charitable Trust as well as funding from the Brelms Trust.

In addition, some individuals or groups sponsor a group of children every month with a direct debit system through the charity’s website.

For more information visit canterburyimagine.co.uk.