Joel and Katie hit the road to deliver books for World Book Day
Albion stars Joel Veltman and Katie Startup went on the road in the AITC van to deliver hundreds of books to school children in Portslade.
Thursday 2 March is World Book Day – a day for children all over the country to dress up, celebrate reading, and crack open a good book.
As part of the National Literacy Trust’s World Book Day celebrations, we were given hundreds of books to hand out to some of the children we work with in schools across Sussex.
Katie and Joel volunteered to help the AITC team hand out the books – together they took a ride in the AITC van and visited three schools in Portslade to deliver the books.
At each school – St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Benfield Primary School, and Peter Gladwin Primary School – Katie and Joel were greeted by dozens of excited young children ready to meet their Albion heroes.
“It’s so cool to see a professional football player, and for them to come in and give us books and sign them,” one girl at Benfield Primary School told us.
Joel, who has two young children of his own, was keen to promote the message of World Book Day.
“I think [reading] is really important, especially at this age, 6-12 years old,” Joel said.
“It’s really important to read a lot of books. My parents taught me to always read before I go to bed and when I wak up in the morning.
“That’s why we’re here today, to encourage it even more.”
Dan Garrett, PE & School Sport Development Officer at AITC, spoke about the importance of reading for young children.
“We’re really grateful that Katie and Joel gave up their time to help deliver these books. I know it’s made World Book Day extra special for the kids they met today.
“Days like World Book Day are a great way to celebrate the importance of reading, and to get more kids picking up a book.
“Reading is so important, especially for primary school-aged children. It’s how they learn about the world, learn new words, and grow their imagination.”
Read more about how we work with thousands of school children across Sussex: https://bhafcfoundation.org.uk/education-and-employability/supporting-schools/
This article was written when our name was Albion in the Community. As of August 1 2023, we are the Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation.