Ref: tn_5808
Date: 4th June 2008

Celebration of Success as Children ‘Get Connected’

The Turnpike Centre will play host to an event to celebrate the success of the Get Connected project on Friday 6th June.

The aim of the project, run jointly by Wigan Libraries and Children and Young People’s Services, is to work with looked-after children in a variety of settings, including care homes, to encourage literacy and general attainment. Other aspects have included working with children with special needs and young carers.

Over the course of the project the team have engaged with 154 children from across the borough in Standish, Hindley, Atherton Wigan and Leigh. The children have been involved in a variety of activities and events including familiarisation visits to their local libraries to enjoy the range of services on offer.

The celebration event, which is by invitation only, is to thank partners and to showcase some of the work that the children have achieved throughout the course of the project. Artwork will be on display on the Stairs Gallery throughout June for people to come and take a look at.

Carole Ogden, Get Connected Outreach Officer, has led on the project and commented: “The Get Connected project enables young people to appreciate the value of reading for pleasure and to assist them to develop better social skills and self-confidence. Throughout the course of the project the children have achieved some great results and accomplished personal goals.”

The project is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, an independent grant making body who fund charitable activities to help people realise their full potential and have a better quality of life.

Amy Egan at Barnados commented “This is a fantastic initiative and should be a continual project so other disadvantaged children and young people can benefit from this valuable resource and embed a culture of reading.”

Some of the activities in the Get Connected project have linked to the wider National Year of Reading initiatives, launched earlier this year. The National Year of Reading campaign urges people from across the borough to join their local library to gain free access to a wide range of services such as free Internet access, book loans, reading groups and learning opportunities. For more information visit www.wlct.org/libraries

-ends-

NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information on this press release please contact Georgina Bentley, Marketing Manager, on 01942 486930 or at g.bentley@wlct.org

Photos: Due to the sensitive nature of this project, photos of the children involved cannot be taken, however the artwork will be on display from Friday 6th June until the end of June.

Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust: Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is a charitable trust working on behalf of Wigan Council to manage and support leisure and cultural facilities, initiatives and events for over 300,000 residents in the Wigan Borough. See www.wlct.org 

Getting Wigan Active: Getting Wigan Active is Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust’s vision to help people across the Wigan Borough to become more physically, mentally and creatively active. It also aims to increase community activity and to encourage good citizenship.

National Year of Reading: The National Year of Reading (NYR) is a nationwide campaign, promoting the power of reading to change the lives of individuals and communities. The NYR will celebrate reading for purpose and pleasure and the reading of all texts across all media. It will create opportunities to motivate the wider community to start reading – or to read more.

Activities in the National Year of Reading will include the following themes:

• April: Read all about it!
• May: Mind and Body.
• June: Reading escapes.
• July: Rhythm and Rhyme.
• August: Read the Game.
• September: You are what you read.
• October: Word of Mouth.
• November: Screen reads.
• December: Write the future.
 

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