Peterborough library champion is honoured

Booktrust is the largest charity in the UK dedicated to improving children’s reading ability and Vivacity’s partnership with them has contributed to a 10% rise in literacy rates of primary school leavers in the past year .

Elaine Wilkinson has worked in Peterborough Libraries for 13 years and, with the support of staff and volunteers, delivers Vivacity’s reading development programme for under 5s across 11 libraries in Peterborough.

The programme includes a number of different initiatives throughout the year designed to encourage families to share stories and rhymes together. The bulk of this work is achieved through Vivacity’s weekly storytimes and rhymetimes across the city for children.

Director of Culture, Richard Hunt said “We’re so proud of the work that Elaine has done over the years she has worked for us and the inroads she and her staff have made with improving children’s literacy in the city. Reading is such an essential skill and Elaine’s work encouraging reading for pleasure at an early age serves as a crucial part of our city-wide strategy for making sure as many children as possible are set up with this skill for life.”

Elaine added: “I had no idea I was even being considered for an award - it is an absolute honour to be recognised in this way by Booktrust. My only ambition from here is to build on the great progress we’ve made at Vivacity and continue helping as many children in the city get into reading as possible.”