Club 08 Party – Celebrating together
Fify young people from five of Pembrokeshire’s Clybiau 08: 08 Clubs
clubs came together recently for a party at the West Wales Arts Centre in Fishguard to celebrate their achievements as participants in an all Wales project, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s National Year of Reading programme.
Seven clubs in all across the county have been meeting regularly outside school hours to enjoy a range of specially chosen books with particular relevance to Wales and the Welsh culture. The students have been able to contribute to discussions and activities , to build up their own club’s interactive website, and to enjoy reading together in informal ways.
Hence the reward of a day out of the classroom and the chance to meet both other groups of like-minded readers, and guest presenters. Ian Benfold Haywood, an illustrator from North Wales shared his research and art work for One Boy’s War, recently published by France Lincoln. This was of especial interest to the many boys in the Clubs who were fascinated by his realistic images of life in the First World War trenches, and the detailed stages required to reach publication. By contrast ‘The 2 Steves’ presented a fun-packed roadshow of literary fun – which all served to show the value and enjoyment which can be found in books, even by so-called ‘reluctant’ readers. In total a programme to appeal to the widest cross-section of our young people.
A tasty buffet lunch, provided by Café Celf, Fishguard, and a free book raffle organised by the West Wales Children’s Book Group, set the seal on an imaginative day out, and a worthy conclusion to all the young people’s efforts. Chris Stephens, local Coordinator for the NYOR was delighted with the response. ‘We have a great reading tradition here in Pembrokeshire, and each Club’s commitment, by both its leaders and its participants, shows that given the chance, lots of young people still love a well-written book – and can be encouraged to discriminate between the good and the not so good!’
Schools taking part in the 08Reading clubs project were Ysgol Casblaidd, Haverfordwest VC School, Narberth CP School,( Welsh and English clubs) Ysgol Preseli and Bush School, Pembroke (library and classroom clubs).
