Nottingham BID team members taking on Robin Hood Half-Marathon for Dolly Parton book scheme

Founded by country music legend Dolly Parton, the main purpose of the scheme is to raise local child literacy levels and foster a love of reading in preschool children.

The book-gifting charity was introduced to the city in 2009, and more than 9,300 children have benefitted from the scheme, with 3,500 children having graduated and more than 5,700 children registered to the scheme.

Evidence confirms that the scheme delivers significant improvements in literacy and communications skills.

Therefore, to help grow the scheme, and support the council’s Big Reading Challenge 2021, which raised more than £20,000, staff from Nottingham BID have signed up to run the 13.1 miles of the Nottingham Half-Marathon on September 25.

Every donation helps as £2 can pay for a child to get a new book;, £25 can pay for a child to get a new book each month for a year and £125 pays for a child to get a book every month from birth until their fifth birthday

Alex Flint, one of the team members, said: “Children deserve the best possible start in life, and we know that reading with children is one of the best ways to set them up for a bright future.

"It is an incredible achievement to have more than 5,700 children now receiving the free books and as part of our Green Healthy City initiative, we are delighted to be supporting Nottingham City Council’s ambition for every child in Nottingham to receive a free book each month.

"Team training is going well - we’ve set up a weekly running club and we all enjoy getting out in our lunch break to get some miles in.”

Coun David Mellen (Lab), council leader, who has been involved with the initiative since 2011 following the council’s ‘year of reading’, commented: “We’re extremely grateful to Nottingham BID colleagues who are raising funds for the Imagination Library by running the Nottingham Half-Marathon.

"Their support towards the scheme will help ensure Nottingham’s children get the best start in life.

“This scheme not only ignites a love of reading; it is proven to improve the literacy skills of our city’s children, getting them ready for school, helping them achieve more in their journeys through education and, in turn, be more successful in their working lives.

"Reading with children is one of the best ways to set them up for a bright future.

“As a former head teacher, I know how books and reading with children can improve literacy.

"There are currently more than 5,700 Nottingham children registered with the Imagination Library scheme, but we want to do more.

"Our ambition is for every child in Nottingham to get a free book every month.

“We need to raise funds to make this happen.”

If you would like to support Nottingham BID, you can donate via their Go Fund Me page here.