Students at Colmore Junior School, Birmingham, tackled studies outside the classroom on Friday 10 June as they welcomed local MP Steve McCabe as well as visitors from Charter Savings Bank and Coventry Rugby Club for the official opening of a brand new reading area at the school.
The ‘reading for pleasure zone’ was made possible through a partnership between Charter Savings Bank, part of the OSB Group, and Coventry Rugby to support the Rugby & Reading scheme where players visit local schools to help pupils with their reading skills. Levels of daily reading among children and young people have been in sharp decline: just 25.8% of children said they read daily in their free time in 2019, the lowest level the National Literacy Trust recorded since it surveyed children in 2005.*
The timely unveiling also coincides with UK Coaching Week which helps to encourage people to be more active, more often, and positively influence lives and communities by impacting on physical and mental well-being, as well as social and economic development.
As a wider part of the sponsorship deal, local disadvantaged youngsters also have the opportunity to attend training camps during school holidays at Coventry’s Butts Park Arena stadium where they can get involved in a range of sporting activities as well as have meals supplied during their visit along with healthy food hampers to take home with them.
Antony Bradshaw, Head Teacher, Colmore Junior School said, “Through the generous support of Charter Savings Bank and Coventry Rugby Club, we’ve been able to create an inviting and comfortable space for our pupils to come and browse through the books and settle down to read and most importantly, to be read to by their teachers.
Having rugby players come to the school to help our children read is not only fun but it really provides inspiration to our youngsters. When they see a rugby player getting involved in reading, it helps them to feel inspired and more likely to want to pick up a book. The new reading zone is such a wonderful environment and the children are already excited to use it.”
Paul Whitlock, Group Managing Director of Savings at OSB Group said, “As a long standing savings provider with strong community roots, Charter Savings Bank is delighted that the partnership with Coventry Rugby is providing real opportunities for local young people.
I’ve seen first-hand the club’s passion and drive for helping in our local communities, something that very much mirrors our values at OSB Group. With this partnership, we’re helping many people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to enjoy the healthy benefits that we can deliver through initiatives like Rugby & Reading.”