Rotary Books4Home is a phenomenally successful project that has provided over 200,000 good quality pre-read books to more than 200 schools throughout Shropshire, Staffordshire and The Black Country with the essential support of a large number of club Rotarians.
A unique feature of the project is that it’s not a lending library – the youngsters keep the books, thus providing a book to take home, read, enjoy and keep forever – many for the first time ever.
The City of Wolverhampton club has formed an excellent partnership with The Way Youth Zone in the city. The Way is a vibrant, purpose-built facility in the centre of Wolverhampton that provides a welcoming space where young people aged 8-19 (or up to 25 with a disability) can explore new interests, make friends, and unlock their potential through an array of fun and engaging activities. Opening in January 2016, it offers a multitude of activities for young people to partake in such as sport, fitness, dance, arts, music, media, enterprise, well-being and self-improvement.
The facilities include a library and Rotary decided it would be a good idea to add The Way to its many recipients of books, which are otherwise almost entirely schools. The idea was warmly welcomed by The Way and the first delivery has been made.
Tyrone Johnson, Philanthropy Manager at The Way says-
““Books4Home is doing something truly powerful addressing an issue that often goes unseen. In parts of Wolverhampton, over one in four children leave primary school without the expected level of reading skills, and many don’t have a single book of their own at home.
That’s why initiatives like this matter so deeply. Every book donated through Books4Home gives a young person ownership of knowledge, imagination, and opportunity, things that can shape their
future for years to come. It’s a perfect addition to our library at The Way Youth Zone, where we’re creating a space that not only supports learning but inspires a lifelong love of reading.”
www.rotaryalumni1210.co.uk/rotary-books4home
PDG Richard Green