The Context
BookTrust NI’s aim is to ensure that everyone has access to books in their home and is inspired to engage with the world of reading for pleasure and to improve their life chances. Through their reader development programmes and work as an arts organisation, BookTrust in Northern Ireland makes a positive impact on children, families and local communities.
SONI (System Operator for Northern Ireland) is the electricity system operator for Northern Ireland. They bring electricity to every part of Northern Ireland and plan ahead for future growth. From their control centre in Belfast, they match supply and demand for power every second of every day by using the transmission system.
SONI was seeking a partnership to deepen their community engagement, an objective they value highly, being a customer-centric business. With that in mind, working with BookTrust NI on a campaign to support literacy for NI teenagers was the perfect way to fulfil this goal...
The Solution
Book Trust and SONI have been working together since 2016 to encourage early book sharing and a love of reading in the communities where SONI is working.
The partners recognise that a love of books changes lives. They know that children who read for pleasure are likely to do better at school as well as being more socially, culturally and emotionally prepared for life.
For 2020, the partners were able to extend their reading for pleasure programme, with the support of Arts & Business NI funding, to encourage older children in the South Armagh area to engage in the world of books and reading, building on the successful work that the partnership has already undertaken to date with babies, pre-school and primary school children.
BookTrust NI designed and supported an exciting literacy project which involved books, online interaction and live author events, featuring author Dan Freedman, football journalist and creator of the Jamie Johnson books which have now been made into a BBC TV series. Dan is an enthusiastic speaker who told the young people about his life as an author and his time as an official reporter on two World Cup campaigns. He also discussed and read from his new book ‘Unstoppable’ which includes many issues that young people can relate to; sports, sibling rivalry, knife crime and gang culture.
The project was centred in two large post primary schools and included the design of a secure online platform where pupils could find out all about Dan, review his books and post comments. Dan responded so pupils could build a relationship with him before they met him in person. Each pupil received a copy of ‘Unstoppable’ to read and have signed as a memento of Dan’s visit, whilst additional copies of Dan Freedman books were gifted to the school library.
The project culminated in a popular creative writing project, with a range of prizes, judged by Dan Freedman, SONI and BookTrust NI. The partnership with BookTrust NI enables SONI to deepen its engagement with communities in the areas in which they are working and to achieve its strategic objective of supporting young people in their educational needs.
“SONI is really proud of our partnership with Book Trust NI. Removing barriers to education is a key focus area of our community investment strategy; and promoting literacy through reading is a key first step. We are delighted that our support has enabled BookTrust to bring reading to life for pupils in Armagh through Dan’s visit.”
Jo Aston, Managing Director, SONI
“The ongoing partnership with SONI means we are able to continue our work to get children reading across Northern Ireland. By creating open platforms for children to connect with authors and books, children can see reading and writing from a new perspective.”
Liz Canning, BookTrust’s Head of Country in Northern Ireland
