National Year of Reading 2008

Yesterday saw a very special guest arriving at Trelai Primary School, Caerau, Cardiff. Yes Santa came early to deliver the best Christmas present to the school children – books!

Schools across Wales have entered an exclusive competition to compete for five enormous bundles of books, each one of them worth £1,000. To win, schools had to tell the Welsh Books Council, who coordinate the National Year of Reading in Wales, which was the best reading event held at their school during 2008.

This wonderful competition, which brings the National Year of Reading’s celebrations to an end, has gained the support of a number of Welsh publishers. Gomer, Y Lolfa, Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion and Awen have joined forces with the Welsh Books Council to donate the prizes.

The five winning schools have now been chosen and Trelai Primary School pupils were treated to an extra special visit by Santa, who arrived on his sleigh to deliver the books, courtesy of Caerphilly Lions Club.

Trelai Primary School’s winning event was ‘Read Around Cardiff’. With each book the pupils read they progressed from one local Cardiff landmark to another until they had read all around the city. The event was so successful the pupils are now taking part in ‘Read Around Wales’.

The other winners are Blackwood Comprehensive School, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin, Cwmtawe Community School and Ysgol Gynradd Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. They will receive their prizes shortly.

Delyth Humphreys, the Co-ordinator of the National Year of Reading in Wales commented ‘We were overjoyed at the number of entries we received and thank everyone for entering. Everyone in Wales has responded with great enthusiasm and set about organising a wide range of events and activities throughout the year. We are truly thrilled!’

‘We would also wish to thank the Welsh publishers for getting on board and donating their books and look forward to presenting the schools with their prizes. And not forgetting the Caerphilly Lions Club who kindly arranged for their sleigh and Father Christmas to attend Trelai Primary School, the children were delighted.’

The information that each school has given will be added to the Year of Reading website shortly (www.yearofreadingwales.org.uk) and also the school’s reading event will have contributed to the 2,008 and more events which were organised across Wales this year, in response to the challenge set by the Education Minister, Jane Hutt.

The National Year of Reading in Wales has brought together people from all across Wales to share the joy of reading. A wide range of activities have taken place as part of the year ranging from Give a Book Week, Reading Communities initiatives to the establishment of 50 book clubs for young people.