Knowsley welcomed distinguished visitors today (Thursday 13 August), including The Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, Peter Oliver OBE, Helen Tanzey from the Lieutenancy Office and Will Carr from BookTrust.
They were joined by Cllr Sean Donnelly, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Children Services and Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, for a visit showcasing the successful collaboration between Knowsley’s Family Hubs and BookTrust.
The visit to Northwood Family Hub in Kirkby, provided an opportunity to highlight Knowsley’s commitment to its Reading Rights programme, which aims to ensure every child in the borough has access to books, stories and opportunities for shared reading from the earliest possible age.
Guests also met with a local parent and child and heard about the positive difference that shared reading and early years support have made to their family’s experience.
More than 3,000 children aged 0-5 in Knowsley currently benefit from BookTrust’s core programmes, with support delivered through Knowsley’s Family Hubs, libraries, health services and community partners.
Cllr Sean Donnelly, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services commented:
“We were delighted to share with our visitors the progress being made through our partnership with BookTrust and the dedication of colleagues across Knowsley who are making reading a key part of family life. By working together, we are creating more opportunities for children to enjoy stories, develop a love of books and thrive as they grow.”
Knowsley is one of the targeted local areas for the BookTrust Reading Rights pilot project. Led by Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, this initiative connects families to early childhood reading support in safe local community spaces to help make shared reading a basic right for every child.
Story and Rhyme Sessions
From September, Knowsley families can attend Story and Rhyme sessions at:
- Northwood Family Hub – Wednesday 1-2 pm
- New Hutte Children and Family Hub – Thursday 10-11am
- Stockbridge Village Centre – Friday 10-11am
More Support
Visit Knowsley Info Hub to find out more about family support, health information and local services in Knowsley.