Summer Reading Challenge kicks off at NNUH

Richard Looney, Library Assistant and Kim Barker-Ottley, Library Knowledge Services Manager

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) is delighted to be taking part in the national Summer Reading Challenge – a scheme to encourage children to keep reading during the school summer holidays.

The project, which is being overseen by Norfolk County Council, will begin at NNUH on Monday 23rd July in the children’s ward day room and on Wednesday 1st August in the Emergency Department (ED). There will be reading challenges for all age groups over the summer holiday to help keep up our younger patient’s literacy skills whilst on their long summer break from school.

Under-fives can take part in the Mischief Makers mini challenge, aimed at encouraging younger children to become more familiar with books. Children can collect stickers for sharing stories at home and receive a certificate for completion.

5 to 11-year-olds can get involved with the Mischief Makers challenge. Children collect stickers as they read and complete the Beano-town map to find the treasure. All children completing six books will receive a certificate and a medal. This year, children can also challenge their grown-ups to read, to encourage the whole family to get involved and earn an extra Family Reading Challenge sticker.

Children aged 11+ can join the ImagiNation challenge. Participants choose two books to read over the summer, then write a review or draw a related picture on a ‘belly band’ to go around the book. Each young person completing the scheme will receive a certificate and be in with the chance to win £30 of book tokens.

Kim Barker-Ottley, Library and Knowledge Services Manager said: “This year’s theme is ‘Mischief Makers’ and we’ll have a selection of books to appeal to a variety of ages available for our younger patients to read. We’ll be introducing the scheme to our patients whilst they are in hospital but will be encouraging them to carry on the challenge at home. Reading can help children to escape the reality of being in hospital whilst providing both comfort and entertainment. The reading challenge is a really fun and engaging way to encourage children to keep up their reading whilst off from school and we’re hoping many of our younger patients will take part.”

As part of the project, there will be story time sessions hosted in the NNUH Library and in the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital each week.

Jade White, Play Assistant at NNUH said: “We host story time in the Jenny Lind Children’s Department all year round for our younger patients, but we’re delighted to be joining the national challenge to highlight why it’s so important for children to keep up their literacy skills especially over the summer holidays.”

Head of Norfolk County Council’s Library and Information Service, Jan Holden, said: “The Summer Reading Challenge is a hugely successful programme and this year’s theme, featuring well-loved characters from The Beano, is particularly engaging for children and adults alike. We’re especially pleased to be able to make the Challenge available to hospital libraries in the region, so as many children as possible can get involved.”

For more information about the Summer Reading Challenge at NNUH, please email library@nnuh.nhs.uk