World Book Day book tokens were handed out on arrival to all young Port Vale and Scunthorpe United fans attending the match on Saturday. Almost 100 free books were given out with a choice of 12 exclusive 2020 World Book Day titles to take home and keep.
One parent whose child took home a book said: “I think giving away books at the match is a great idea, it's a wonderful way to promote reading. My son will love reading that this afternoon.”
One child said: “Are you sure I can have one for free? That’s amazing! Thank you.”
Lois Bateman, Story Quest Project Manager, said: “We know that football is a fantastic way to get children excited about reading, so we were thrilled to see so many excited young football fans choose a brand new World Book Day book at Vale Park this weekend.
“Story Quest is dedicated to getting books into the hands of children who need them most and we’ve already engaged many families through our partnership with Port Vale. Partnering with football clubs and their inspiring players helps us build a love of reading that can transform children’s chances of success in school and in life. That’s why we’re delighted to be working with Port Vale Foundation and WHSmith to help children and families share a story this World Book Day.”
Tom Sherratt, Head of Community at Port Vale, said "We are delighted that the offer of a free book at the game vs Scunthorpe United was well received and it was an excellent way for us to further engage with younger Port Vale fans.
Working closely with the Story Quest project and WH Smith means we can ensure we can provide children of all ages with a book to hopefully continue their love all things literacy!
We are proud to deliver the Premier League Primary Stars programme within schools which allows local children to use football to further their knowledge in a range of subjects.”
The initiative is part of a wider partnership between the National Literacy Trust and WHSmith, which is supporting the Premier League Primary Stars programme to bring pop-up book stalls to 67 professional football clubs from the Premier League and English Football League on match days around World Book Day [5 March] between 29 February and 14 March 2020.
The Stoke Reads team have given out over 5,000 books this week to celebrate World Book Day, to local schools and organisations including the Burlsem Bookroom and the Potteries Museum. To find out more about Stoke Reads visit stokereads.org.uk.
To find out more about the Port Vale Foundation visit www.portvalefoundation.co.uk.