‘Our Stories’ literacy project is launched

A themed bus will visit Scarborough, Filey and Whitby today

A new initiative to boost literacy levels in Scarborough, Filey and Whitby has launched today.

A National Literacy Trust Hub will be set up on the North Yorkshire Coast and will be known as ‘Our Stories’.

Today a literacy-themed bus will tour the three towns to visit Caedmon College in Whitby, Ebor Academy in Filey and The Street community centre in Scarborough.

At each stop, pupils from local primary schools will climb on board the bus to enjoy an interactive storytelling session by Stephen Joseph Theatre practitioner Ceridwen Smith who will highlight the importance of literacy skills and inspire the pupils to read and tell stories. Pupils will also be gifted a brand new book and an Our Stories bookmark to take home.

The day will finish at The Street community centre, where key partners will gather to celebrate the launch.

North Yorkshire Coast Hub Manager, Liz Dyer, said: “This is an exciting time for the North Yorkshire Coast and a real opportunity to help raise aspirations in the area.

“If children can read, they can succeed, and that is what we want for every child in the area.”

The initiative has been created through a partnership between the National Literacy Trust and the North Yorkshire Coast Opportunity Area.

The National Literacy Trust Hub aims to work within communities to tackle low literacy levels that are seriously impacting on people’s lives, by working with local partners to create long lasting change.

Last year, half of disadvantaged children (50.8%) on the North Yorkshire Coast did not achieve a good development at age five, compared to 30% of their more advantaged peers.

The challenges continue as pupils get older; 38.4% of children on the North Yorkshire Coast did not achieve the expected reading level at the end of primary school in 2017, which compares to just 28% of children nationally.