Key facts
Area: Scotland
Grant recipient: South Glasgow Childcare Partnership Forum
Project: Bookstart
Programme: Investing in Communities
Date of award: 17/10/2007
Amount awarded: £355,500
It’s noisy, shouty, full of fun and about as far away from the traditional idea of a reading group that you can get. But then this is no ordinary book club. Welcome to the colourful, imaginative world of Bookbug where the participants are encouraged to stand-up, jump around and join in – but then their average age is about two and a half!
“It’s about loving books, words, stories and sharing that love and enthusiasm with parents and children,” says storyteller Marie McFadden who leads the sessions for the South Glasgow Bookbug Project. And it’s not all about books. Marie, who has a seemingly boundless amount of energy and enthusiasm, makes sure that singing, poems and action songs are all part of her weekly mix.
“We get parents along who perhaps would never consider taking their children to the local library but through our sessions they’ll start reading and singing with the kids not just here but at home too.”
What’s very different about the South Glasgow Bookbug sessions is they received Lottery funding to bring love of books to families and communities who might not get to a library. So from the cafe at a five-a-side football centre to the local community centre, their sessions are bringing reading and books alive to parents, grandparents, carers and children who might never have had this opportunity before.
Kathleen McGinlay, 29, mum to six-month old Michael says, “We’ve been coming for about three and a half months and we absolutely love it. My health visitor suggested that I come along as it was a good way for me to get out of the house and do something for and with Michael. It’s part of our weekly routine now and I wouldn’t want to miss it.”
Dad Thorfinn Johnstone, 66, says, “Reading is so important and instilling a love of books and the written word has to start early – that’s why this is brilliant.”
With 15 month old twins Magnus and Erland on their feet and jumping around through the hour long session, it clear they have a ball. Thorfinn believes, “For boys it’s especially important to start young before they get distracted by games and TV. This is wonderful - once they know books are about fun and friends, the seed is sown for them to go on to have a lifetime of appreciating the written word.”