WOKINGHAM council are encouraging volunteers to come forward to help encourage young children to embrace reading over the summer holidays.

The volunteers are needed to take part in the summer reading challenge, which is the UK’s biggest annual reading promotion for children aged between 4 and 11 organised by The Reading Agency charity.

The roles have been designed to encourage children to take part in and complete this year’s challenge, which has been called the Space Chase.

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Parry Batth, executive member for leisure and environment, said, “The summer reading challenge is a great way to encourage our young residents to continue reading throughout the holidays and help them to develop a love of reading at a young age.

“Last year over 3000 children took part throughout the borough and we hope to beat that record this year.”

The Space Chase challenge combines free access to books with fun and creative activities in the library throughout the summer holidays.

Library staff and young volunteers will support the children taking part and will help them to discover new authors and illustrators to explore a wide range of different types of books.

The summer reading challenge will take place from Monday July, 29 to Friday August, 30.

For more information, visit: https://readingagency.org.uk/young-people/practitioners-guides/summer-reading-challenge-volunteering.