National Year of Reading Wales 2008 Conference
Thursday 12th February 2009 saw the National Year of Reading in Wales 2008 Conference take place in Cardiff.
Special guest speakers included the Education Minister, Jane Hutt who addressed the conference about the successes of the year and the importance of reading as a building block not only in children’s lives but for adults also.
The Welsh Assembly Government designated 2008 as the National Year of Reading in Wales and invited the Welsh Books Council to co-ordinate the year and to highlight the importance of reading and literacy amongst the people of Wales.
The Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills Jane Hutt said: "I look forward to addressing the National Year of Reading 2008 Conference, and having the opportunity to discuss the successes we’ve had during last year. Encouraging reading in children from a young age is extremely important. The benefits will range from educational to economical.
"Possessing reading as a skill enhances each individual’s quality of life significantly. Apart from being a hugely enjoyable pastime that can ignite our imagination and take us to places we’ve never dreamed of, the ability to read open doors to employment and training. As adults it is a skill we should continue to use, building upon our learning and keeping our minds active."
At the conference, reports were given on the three main initiatives of the 2008 Year of Reading in Wales. These were Give a Book Week, where people were encouraged to give each other books as gifts, the Reading Communities – with Llanelli and Barry chosen to organise events and activities to entice people to read more and, lastly, the 08 Clubs, which were designed to encourage young people, in particular teenage boys, to read.
The conference also looked into the key partnerships which formed the foundation of the Year’s activities throughout Wales – in particular the partnership with local authorities and their library services – and also with the voluntary and Welsh business sectors. For example the partnership with TUC Wales and their 1,200-strong force of union learning reps and Llamau, the charity that works with homeless young people and women in south Wales.
Overall the National Year of Reading in Wales 2008 was a huge success and the message was spread far and wide that everyone should read more, not only to improve their skills but also to have a better quality of life, as has been indicated by current research into ways in which reading can reduce stress levels.
Delyth Humphreys, Co-ordinator of the National Year of Reading in Wales commented, "2008 was a great celebration of reading in Wales and the Welsh Books Council was delighted to spearhead the campaign that delivered the important message across Wales that reading is a vital skill and an essential component of everyday life."
The National Year of Reading in Wales 2008 brought together people from all across Wales to share the joy of reading. A wide range of activities took place as part of the year ranging from Give a Book Week, the Reading Communities initiatives to the establishment of 50 book clubs for young people.
To view more photographs, click here.
Photographer: Richard Bosworth
