Local author Will Mabbitt meets pupils for Author Day
Dozens of pupils from local primary schools met children’s author Will Mabbitt for a special workshop to celebrate Club Author Day, in partnership with the National Literacy Fund.
Will Mabbitt delivered a series of fun workshops and activities designed to inspire a love of reading, including talking to the pupils about his process for designing his characters, and inviting them to design their own football-playing animal characters.
Children from Summerlea, Denton, Goldstone, and Queen’s Park primary schools were invited to the workshop.
Pupils at the workshop were all given free copies of Will’s books, and were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Amex Stadium.
Club Author Days are part of the Premier League’s free education programme, Premier League Primary Stars, which launched in 2017 and uses the appeal of football to help children to be active and develop essential life skills.
National Literacy Trust research found that pupils who have author visits during the academic year are twice as likely to read above the expected level for their age and are more likely to enjoy and be confident in their reading and writing.
More than 1,000 primary school pupils will have the opportunity to take part in Club Author Days this year, funded by the Premier League and delivered in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
Lynsey Hermann, Head of Community Programmes at the BHAFC Foundation, said: “We were so grateful to Will for coming to the Amex to deliver this workshop. The children all had a fantastic day and really got stuck in with the activities.
“We’ve seen so many young people who love reading, and hopefully they go home from today’s session even more inspired to pick up a book.”
Nick Perchard, Director of Community at the Premier League, said: “We are incredibly proud to see so many children take part in the Premier League Primary Stars Club Author Days.
“These events go beyond reading – they empower young people to unlock the countless benefits of literacy, providing them with inspiration and essential skills to thrive in school and in life. By partnering with authors and club community organisations, we aim to ignite a lifelong passion for reading that will support their growth for years to come.”
Alongside the club author days, more than 300,000 free books have been gifted to young people since Premier League Primary Stars began, thanks to the education programme’s partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
Jim Sells, of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Research and decades of experience tell us that meeting authors can inspire a love of reading in children and young people, and this improves their chances of success in school and gives them the literacy skills they need to thrive.
“With this partnership, we tap into the love of football that many children have and use its motivational power to build an interest in reading. Some children think reading and books aren’t for them, but by linking local authors with football clubs, we’re introducing them to reading role models and helping them find books that will spark their imaginations.”
For more information, please visit Premier League Primary Stars.
