‘BookBenches’ in the city

Plans are underway to bring a striking trail of book-shaped benches to the city as part of the Peterborough Celebrates Reading campaign that will see a year of activities celebrating literature.

School children across Peterborough will decorate a ‘BookBench’ sculpture with designs inspired by books, novels, comics, poems and prose. This will inspire children to read more widely and improve their literacy.

Around 30 BookBenches will be displayed in public venues across the city in July 2020. Many of the venues will host themed activities and events throughout the summer, and in September 2020 the BookBenches will be returned to the schools and community groups that decorated them.

An appeal has now gone out from the National Literacy Trust for businesses to spend £1,500 to sponsor a bench. Appliance manufacturer Hotpoint is the first local business to have signed up. Interested businesses should email rebecca.parsons@literacytrustorg.uk.