Developer donates £200 of books to Market Drayton school to help the love of reading grow

Longlands Primary School in Market Drayton is close to the housebuilder’s development called The Damsons.

The donation happened to mark World Book Day which was held on Thursday and it is hoped that the books will support the pupils with independent reading.

World Book Day's mission is to promote reading for pleasure and education, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own.

The global event aims to promote reading and sharing of stories among children of all ages.

Lorna Hounsell, reading co-ordinator at Longlands Primary School, said: “We are very grateful for this generous donation as reading provides pupils with vital skills that they use in all curriculum areas.

“We are a community school and building relationships such as this benefits our pupils greatly. Our pupils have a real passion for learning to read and the books donated are being enjoyed by all.”

According to a 2023 study by the National Literacy Trust, just two in five children and young people between the ages of eight and 18 said they enjoyed reading recreationally – the lowest figure the organisation has recorded since it began asking the question in 2005.

Steve Barton, senior sales manager at David Wilson Homes Mercia, said: “Encouraging children to read and appreciate literature among the communities in which we build is something we regard as very important.

“Reading can be a wonderful hobby as it can help people of all ages unwind at the end of the day whilst stimulating our brains.

"We hope that our donation of books to Longlands Primary School will encourage more young people to pick up a book and enjoy getting lost in a great story.”