We launched a new campaign, Peterborough Celebrates Reading, on Saturday with a fun family event in Peterborough's Cathedral Square.
The sun was shining as local families took home brilliant free children's books, listened to stories from professional storytellers and took part in fun arts and craft activities including book making. The Vivacity book bus was also on hand to sign local families up to the library and read stories together.
Peterborough Celebrates Reading has been organised by Peterborough City Council, the National Literacy Trust's Peterborough Reads campaign, Vivacity and City College Peterborough to get children interested in books and more parents reading to their children from a young age.
The launch event kicks off a year-long programme of events that will include The Space Chase summer reading challenge, Roald Dahl Day in September, writing competitions, story trails, a poetry festival and much more.
The year will culminate with a striking trail of book-shaped benches across Peterborough created by schools, community groups and businesses in association with creative producers Wild in Art.
The campaign is part of the Vision for Reading which was launched last year and asks everyone in the city - teachers, parents, businesses and others - to play their part in helping children to develop a lifelong love of reading which in turn will improve their life chances.
Alongside Peterborough Celebrates Reading, the campaign will support parents to prepare their children for school by, for example, reading to them at home and training reading buddies in schools who can read with children.