Children and adults across Suffolk are invited to take part in a national #Take10toRead challenge at 10am on Monday 10 May, as part of a new literacy campaign created by the National Literacy Trust in partnership with Suffolk County Council.
Schools, businesses and local organisations across Suffolk are invited to drop everything and read for just 10 minutes, which research shows is all that is needed each day to benefit mental wellbeing. National Literacy Trust research also shows that reading has been a source of escapism for young people over the past year, supporting their mental wellbeing and enabling them to dream about the future. Children and adults are invited to pick up a book, comic, magazine, or newspaper. All participants are invited to share photos on social media using the hashtag #Take10toRead, joining a national moment where over 100,000 people are expected to take part. Many organisations across the county are already making plans to get involved including campaign partners Suffolk Libraries and Suffolk Mind.
As part of this literacy campaign, schools can sign up to a virtual visit at 9.50am from award-winning local author Anthony Horowitz to introduce the challenge.
In the virtual event, Anthony will share his love of reading and writing, explaining what reading means to him and how he uses it to escape from everyday life. He’ll also talk about his favourite places to read, then introduce the #Take10toRead challenge at 10am.
Jon Neal, chief executive of Suffolk Mind, said: “Research shows that reading reduces stress levels, calming down our heart rate far more effectively than some of the other comforts we might turn to, such as making a cup of tea or zoning out by watching films or TV shows.
“Through reading or listening to fiction, we connect emotionally and build rapport with the characters we read about. We then practice the skill of entering other people’s lives by exercising empathy – an essential skill for forming and sustaining relationships. And, as we see the world from the viewpoint of a character with a very different outlook to ourselves, we learn to see the things from other points of view; regaining the flexibility of mind which low moods or depression can rob us of."
There's still time to find more information and register for the Take 10 event.