Salford Community Libraries and Manchester’s LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre have established an innovative partnership to encourage primary school children to read over the summer holidays.
This is part of the Libraries’ programme to dramatically improve youngsters’ reading skills across the borough over the next ten years.
To launch the scheme, LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre’s Master Model Builder Alex Bidolak will hold five one-hour workshops to teach basic Lego building skills – one on Tuesday, August 4 and three on Friday, August 7.
These will be followed by a series of events around the Salford area throughout August.
“Up to 40% of the poorest children in Salford leave primary school with poor reading skills,” commented Jenny Abbott, Library Manager.
“Our aim is to change that to the extent that by 2025 we want all our children to start secondary school as confident readers.
“One of the main planks in this proposal is greater attendance at, and interest in, libraries. With the LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre partnership we expect to attract children – and their families – who may not normally think of visiting us.
“Hopefully we can change their perceptions of what happens in libraries, which these days are not the dry, dusty and silent places of memory. We want to show that libraries are fun and get as many children reading for pleasure as possible.”
There will be a competitive element to all sessions, with five annual family passes to the SEA LIFE Centre and five annual family passes to LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre, both at the Trafford Centre, Manchester, up for grabs.
Master Builder Sessions
Tuesday August 4
Swinton Library 14:00-15:00
Friday August 7
Broughton Library 10:30-11:30
Pendleton Library 13:00-14:00
Eccles Library 15:00-16:00
Sessions are £1 for library members, £1.50 for non-members and £3 for families.
