To advance the early educational development of children in such areas of Bradford as the Trustees shall determine, in particular but not exclusively by; 1. Arranging for free books to be provided to children. 2. Assisting and supporting parents to read and enjoy books with their children 3. The provision of teaching and support in English for those who do not speak English as a first language.
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Canterbury Imagine is a small literacy and book-gifting registered charity focused on under-5s and their families in some of the poorest parts of Bradford in West Yorkshire. We believe literacy is a way out of poverty.
We aim to help early literacy and life chances by providing a free book every month from birth to five to children registered with the scheme. We do this by affiliating to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and have funded more than 50,000 books since 2012.
Children receive a free, age-appropriate book delivered through the post, addressed to the child, every month from birth until their fifth birthday. They build up their own ‘library’ of up to 60 books, with the aim of encouraging literacy from the early years and improving life chances.
We believe families need these resources now more than ever, and we are currently determined to ensure babies born in our areas of Bradford during the Covid pandemic are registered.
We'd like to expand to another area with our Imagine Bigger project.
The first 1,001 days of a child's life are the most crucial to human development.
Sharing books with young children has a massive impact. It supports children to learn to read, helps them learn to speak and communicate with confidence, and supports the development of creative thinking. Perhaps more importantly, sharing books also helps build family bonds and wellbeing through spending time together, enjoying the stories and having fun.
We asked some parents whether receiving free books through the post had helped during lockdown, and one said: "It's been of great help specially during this stay at home period because reading the books adds to our daily activities which keeps the kids busy, my son has learnt a whole lot from the books. My son is always excited knowing he's got a new book by post."
And another said: “I just want to start off with expressing my sincere appreciation for the books that have been sent. I believe that because of these books, they have laid the foundation for my child to enjoy story time for years to come. My child loves 'baby boo and the giraffe' in particular and I love watching his little face light up every time the book is read.”
We now have more than 1,000 children who have ‘graduated’ from us, having received books until their 5th birthday.