Broughton Shopping Park hosts Chester schools for event

Hosted in Cineworld at Broughton Shopping Park, the events allowed children from St Clare's in Chester, Saltney Ferry Primary and Wood Memorial in Saltney, to listen to poems from professional poet Dom Berry and was part of the Young Readers Programme, an award-winning initiative sponsored by Broughton owner British Land and run in-partnership with the National Literacy Trust, designed to encourage children to read outside of the classroom.

Pupils from St Clare’s RC School in Chester, take part in the Young Reader Programme at Broughton Shopping Park

Dom is an award-winning poet who was Glastonbury Festival's Poet in Residence in 2017 and winner of the Saboteur 'Best Spoken Word Artist' award in both 2017 and 2020. He has toured his verse across the USA, Canada, India, New Zealand, Australia, South America, and mainland Europe.

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Alongside the poetry sessions, the children enjoyed workshops and tours from some of Broughton's retailers, including a session at The Entertainer that saw children play with a range of toys and games. They also enjoyed refreshments at Tesco and were able to take home a book of their choice following the sessions.

Pupils from St Clare’s RC School in Chester, take part in the Young Reader Programme at Broughton Shopping Park

This marks the 12th year of British Land's partnership with the National Literacy Trust, and since the programme launched at Broughton, it has supported more than 2,658 school children and seen more than 7,974 books donated across Chester and North Wales.

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Research by the National Literacy Trust has shown that owning a book means children are more likely to say they enjoy reading and are more inclined to read in their free time. However, 6.5% of children in the UK do not own a book, which equates to half a million children across the country. This rises to one in 10 (9.7%) children from disadvantaged backgrounds, which is the demographic this partnership aims to reach.

Pupils from St Clare’s RC School in Chester, take part in the Young Reader Programme at Broughton Shopping Park

With reading for enjoyment proven to have a positive effect on children's reading skill as well as their wellbeing and mental health, the Young Readers Programme initiative aims to give support and help with the development of children in under privileged areas by giving them access to books.

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Alan Pruden-Barker, centre manager at Broughton, said: "Supporting our community is very important to us, so we're incredibly proud of the Young Readers Programme and all the local children and families we've been able to support in the last 10 years.

Pupils from St Clare’s RC School in Chester, take part in the Young Reader Programme at Broughton Shopping Park

"It was brilliant to welcome the children from Saltney Ferry, Wood Memorial, and St Clare's to the centre. It's always very rewarding to see how the children are inspired by the stories they hear and start to get excited about reading and bringing their own books home."

Martin Galway, Head of School Programmes at the National Literacy Trust, said: "The right book, at the right moment, can change a child's life.

Pupils from St Clare’s RC School in Chester, take part in the Young Reader Programme at Broughton Shopping Park

"That's what the Young Readers Programme has been doing with British Land for the last 12 years - giving children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to experience enchanting poetry events, and to choose books that speak to their interests and passions.

"Our goal is to spark a love of reading that will last them a lifetime, which in turn will empower them with the literacy skills they need to succeed."