Stoke Start Up

RIF are very excited about their latest project launch in Stoke involving early years children and Year 9 pupils – a real spread of interest right across the city. Both RIF projects were highlighted recently at the launch of the Neighbourhood Renewal project, Stoke Start Up. Neil McClelland, Director of the National Literacy Trust and Jim Sells, Reading The Game Manager were lucky enough to attend the event. Jim said this:

‘Stoke has set a benchmark challenge to engage the whole city and help it to achieve its full potential. Having such excellent support from the football club reinforces the message that reading and learning are vital to all our lives, no matter what our backgrounds or interests, and that the community itself has a big part to play in our learning journeys.’

Project Manager, Michael Durell said,

‘We see RIF as a way to get parents and children enjoying books together. The RIF projects have helped to bring together two neighbourhood renewal projects, the Education Department, six primary schools, five secondary schools, Stoke City FC and the library service to promote the importance of books for children and young people in the city. We plan to use the book give-away events in the schools to offer parents the opportunity to gain more information about speech and language issues and access to training and skills development for themselves.

We feel RIF is an innovative way to give parents and children a positive shared experience, while at the same time giving out messages about speech and language and the importance of parents as first educators.’

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