Moto takes local primary school children on a reading journey for World Book Day

Lily, aged eight, from Holy Family RC Primary School

To celebrate World Book Day, primary school children from across Rochdale and Bury were hosted at a special event by Moto in the Community on Thursday (5 March).

The event, which took place at Moto’s Birch Westbound service station, kick started a new partnership with the National Literacy Trust and launched the new reading journey project.

The children, who came from Holy Family RC Primary School, Sacred Heart RC Primary and Nursery School and East Ward Community Primary School in Bury, took part in a variety of fun book-themed activities, a fancy dress competition, a storytelling performance and each was gifted a brand new book. 

To celebrate the new partnership, Moto in the Community also purchased five Literacy Toolkits for the schools, as well as for Moorhouse Primary School and Sandbrook Community Primary School, and enough books for every pupil in those schools to take one home to keep.

The toolkits include a range of 50-books from Walker Books, activity sheets for teachers to use in the classroom plus useful tools to help tackle literacy problems the schools and a one-year National Literacy Trust membership, giving access to inspiring teaching resources and tools for outstanding literacy provision.

The new partnership supports the National Literacy Trust’s #CloseTheGap campaign to increase access to books and improve the literacy levels of the UK’s most disadvantaged children.

Alice Birdwood, Project Manager, Literacy Communities at the National Literacy Trust, said: “We are so excited to have been a part of this World Book Day event and are looking forward to our continued partnership with Moto in the Community. Together, we hope to get even more books into the hands of children who need them most and help them discover a love of reading that can transform their chances of success in school and in life.”

Brian Larkin, Chair of Moto in the Community Trust, said: “It gives us enormous pleasure to partner with the National Literacy Trust on the Reading Journey project this World Book Day. The children really enjoyed the event and we hope it has inspired them to take up reading as a pass time.

“We are delighted to help the National Literacy Trust with their work to enable the children and families in our local areas, and those who visit our service locations, to discover the joy of reading and all the benefits that can bring.”

Find out more about the National Literacy and their work in the region, including the Read Manchester campaign at:

• literacytrust.org.uk/about-us/