MP calls in to celebrate National Bookstart Day

National Bookstart Day is on Friday 11th June and Stockport MP Ann Coffey has been invited to hop on board the Storybus at ABACUS Children's Centre to see Bookstart in action.

Bookstart is a national programme which encourages all parents and carers to enjoy books with their children from a really early age. It is administered by the independent charity Booktrust. From 2004 there has been funding for a free pack of books to all children at three developmental stages: a baby pack at 12 months, a Bookstart Plus pack for toddlers and My Bookstart Treasure Chest for 3-4 year olds.

Bookstart has developed greatly in recent years, and in Stockport we have a dedicated team headed by Sarah Mayoh, Project Leader of the Early Years Unit. She works with libraries, health and children's centres and is always finding new ways of delivering the local programme - bringing storytime to all parts of the community and making sure that very few Stockport families slip through the net. In 2009/10 we are projected to deliver Bookstart to more than 95% of families

Ann Coffey, said

"Bookstart is wonderful. The free book programme is only part of the story: the real gift is the lifelong pleasure which can come getting to love stories, songs and rhymes from an early age. And the earlier children begin to enjoy books, the better they do at school later on."