Woodlands School in Wem has been able to fill its refurbished library with new books, thanks to a special community initiative led by Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care. The Wem branch, located on High Street, selected Lainey's Little Bookshelf in recognition of a Community Book Pledge launched by founder Lucy Kendrick in partnership with Usborne. The project aimed to help Woodlands School replenish its library with books chosen by its own learners.
Branch Out with Kindness initiative
Launched this summer, the Branch Out with Kindness initiative invites community groups across England and Wales to share ideas for how a £100 gift could brighten lives in their local area. Scrivens' £100 gift played a key role in helping the school reach its grand total for books of its choosing. Usborne also added an extra 30 per cent in free books on top of the amount raised, meaning the school has now received a wealth of books, all personally selected by its learners from their wish lists.
Community and school reactions
Sharon Walters, branch manager at Scrivens Wem, said: "When we launched the Branch Out with Kindness initiative, we wanted to celebrate the everyday acts of kindness happening in our community. We were so pleased to support Lainey's Little Bookshelf and help Woodlands School fill its library with books its learners chose for themselves. We're honoured to have played a part in that and hope the new books bring joy and confidence to every child who picks one up."
Lucy Kendrick, founder of Lainey's Little Bookshelf, commented: "Supporting local nurseries and schools with access to books is one of our main priorities and not every school has the budget to refresh their library or reading corner. Woodlands School's learners have been able to choose brand new books that mean something to them and I was so proud to present the latest addition to their library. We're incredibly grateful to Scrivens for their generous support in making that happen."
Natalie Mason, assistant headteacher at Woodlands School, added: "We cannot fully express our gratitude to Scrivens and our other donors for their incredibly generous contributions to our library. Developing confidence, reading fluency, and a love of reading are things we are incredibly passionate about at Woodlands, and having engaging reading materials is crucial to this. Seeing the excitement and joy in our learners as they explore the new books has been heartwarming. On behalf of all of our school community, I would like to say a huge thank you!"
Impact on learners
The initiative has not only provided new books but also empowered learners to select titles that interest them, fostering a love of reading. The school hopes the refreshed library will boost reading fluency and confidence among students.
