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A new partnership between the Guille-Allès Library, States Health Visiting Team and Trustees of St Martin’s Community Centre has refreshed a reading scheme originally launched in 2018.
The Little Readers initiative provides free books and literacy resources to all children under 4 in Guernsey at the time of their health checks at nine months, two years and three years.
Funding from St Martin’s Community Centre has allowed the program to continue in 2025, and also now be able to distribute more durable and eco-friendly book bags.
The new book bags have been distributed to Health Visitors and are already being given to children at their health checks.
Rebecca Silk, representing the Trustees of St Martin’s Community Centre, said: “St Martin's Community Centre is committed to the young people on our island. We provide a safe and versatile space to develop life skills like learning to cook and a place to nurture relationships through youth, parent and toddler activities and groups.
“We are excited to partner with the Guille-Allès Library to engage children though books and be part of a lifelong journey of reading that helps them achieve their full potential.”
Jodie Hearn, the Library’s Head of Children & Young People’s Services, said “We’re absolutely delighted that this new partnership means the Little Readers project can continue to put books in children’s homes.
“Reading is vital in the early years – it develops language skills, fuels imagination and creativity, and boosts brain development. In other words, reading is good for you! It also shapes children’s futures – research shows that reading for pleasure is the single most important predictor of a child’s future success, more important than their family background.”
For more information on the initiative, you can head to the library’s website.
Pictured top: From left to right, Jemma Shaw from the Health Visiting Team, Rebecca Silk from St Martin’s Community Centre, Emily Pailing, Early Years Lead at the Library, and Jodie Hearn, Head of Children & Young People’s Services at the Library.
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