A family ‘BookBench’ trail is coming to Salford this summer - with 20 uniquely decorated benches celebrating the magic of reading.
The Salford Literacy Trail kicks off this Thursday (July 14) with each bench designed to encourage children to read and will be dotted around locations across Salford, including the Blue Peter Garden at MediaCity and Salford Cathedral.
Each bench has been designed by local school children and artists, and has been individually sponsored by local businesses to raise funds for the National Literacy Trust.
READ MORE: ‘Absolutely brilliant’: Bury teacher praised for water bomb maths lesson during scorching hot day
Artist, illustrator and creator of The Happy News newspaper, Emily Coxhead, is one of the many artists involved in the project and has created a bench which will be found in MediaCity.
Artists Caroline Daly, Lizzie Rose Chapman, Kelly Ma, and Justin Eagleton are just some of the other artists involved in the project, which is a partnership between the National Literacy Trust and the Bupa Foundation.
Schools including Primrose Hill Primary School, Boothstown Methodist Primary School, and Wardley CE Primary School have also taken part. The 20 benches - with names such as The Raven and The Children who Drew Dragons - will be situated around The Quays, central Salford, Eccles and Worsley until September 9.
“We want to create an environment where every child in Salford has the opportunity to engage with stories and books that reflect their lives, offer them comfort, or an exciting escape,” says Mike Leyland, the National Literacy Trust’s Programme Manager for the project.
“We hope that the Salford Literacy Trail starts conversations in families, at schools and in communities about stories that have affected them, or that have shown them a different view on life, and encourages an even greater love of reading in everyone who takes part.
“Our research has shown that during lockdown, 3 in 5 children said that reading made them feel better, and 3 in 10 that reading helped them when they felt sad. We want all children to have access to that comfort and support.”
As part of the project, 5,000 copies of Emily Coxhead’s Find Your Happy book will be donated to schools in areas of disadvantage. Following the trail, the benches will be auctioned off to raise vital funds for the National Literacy Trust.
The BookBenches have been created by Wild in Art, a specialist organisation behind many other successful trails, such as Bee in the City, Elmer’s Great North Parade, and Walking with The Snowman.
Anna Russell, Director of the Bupa Foundation, commented: “We’re passionate about investing in positive ways to support children’s wellbeing and contributing to our local communities.
“So we’re delighted to partner with the National Literacy Trust and Wild in Art to encourage children in the area to get outdoors and be active, be creative and enjoy reading.”
For more information, including a downloadable trail map, click here.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- Manchester ranked 13th best city in the WORLD - beating New York, Melbourne and Tokyo
Ice cream farms and shops worth a drive out around Manchester and Cheshire
Victory for Wythenshawe as major secondary school shut down by government set to reopen next year
Dramatic footage shows HUGE blaze ripping through woodland near Dovestone Reservoir
