PUPILS at Jerounds Primary School, on Pyenest Road, Harlow recently took part in a book swap designed to help children in Essex discover a lifelong love of reading.

Supported by the Essex Year of Reading campaign, participants brought in a range of books and exchanged them for new titles.

Hundreds of books, ranging from well-loved children’s favourites to novels, were swapped during the after-school event, to encourage youngsters and adults to get into reading and try something new.

The £1million Essex Year of Reading campaign was created by the Essex Education Task Force to support children and young people whose education was affected by the pandemic. It is funded by Essex County Council.

Cllr Tony Ball, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Skills and Employability, said: “I’m delighted that the community came out to support this initiative. Reading is a key skill that can unlock access to lots of other areas of learning and opportunities for pupils, particularly as they grow.”

He continued: “We have always been very clear that through the Essex Year of Reading campaign, every child would have easy access to books. I’m pleased the book swap event was a success and look forward to hearing about others in the future.”

Discover more about the Essex Year of Reading at: www.essex.gov.uk/news/essex-year-of-reading