THE National Literacy Trust will launch a new campaign as part of Bradford City of Culture 2025 to encourage children across the city to write for pleasure.
Families are invited to step on board the charity’s Bradford Stories Bus at The Beacon in Wibsey Park for a storytelling event to launch the campaign on Saturday, April 26.
Share Your Story aims to encourage children across Bradford to write for pleasure, engage in storytelling activities and ultimately share their story with their friends and peers.
The campaign also aims to boost a sense of pride and connection to Bradford and encourage young people to see the value in the stories they share.
It comes following research from the National Literacy Trust which revealed that across Yorkshire and the Humber, children and young people’s writing for pleasure had reached an all-time low; with less than one in three enjoying writing in their free time.
At The Beacon, the launch event for the Share Your Story campaign in Wibsey Park will feature a series of free creative writing and story workshops on board the converted American school bus.
Families are also invited to drop into the charity’s story stations throughout the day for a range of story sharing activities using arts, crafts and photographs.
The launch in Wibsey marks the first of four Share Your Story events hosted on board the Bradford Stories Bus at Bradford City of Culture 2025’s Beacon venues.
The bus will visit Bowling Park, Cliffe Castle and Lister Park throughout the spring and summer.
Imran Hafeez, Manager of the National Literacy Trust in Bradford, said: “The concerning drop in writing for pleasure rates across the region means that more than two thirds of children are missing out on the vital benefits writing can bring to their wellbeing and literacy skills.
“We know that children in Bradford have powerful stories to tell. Through the Share Your Story campaign we are aiming to unlock their creativity, boost a sense of pride and connection to their city and empower them with the confidence to give writing a go.”
Cllr Sabiya Khan (Lab, Wibsey) said: “It will be heartwarming to see families enjoying the cosy ambience of the stories bus and the books which encouraged that special time between families sharing a book especially bedtime stories.
“As a literacy champion promoting these activities is key for young children to help them develop basic skills, which are needed throughout life as well as enjoying the books on offer.”
