WHITSTONE Community Primary School’s young readers have raised over £800 for children’s books in hospitals.

To encourage pupils to read for pleasure, Whitstone Primary School has taken part in a successful Readathon sponsored read.

Rising to the challenge, the pupils read many books and raised an amazing £884.35 for seriously ill children. As well as benefiting children in hospitals, the pupils’ achievement also earned free books worth over £176, generously provided by Readathon, acting in partnership with Scholastic Book Clubs, to boost the school’s stock of library books.

Headteacher, Paul Woolner, said: “We found that Readathon was a great way to get the children reading for pleasure, while at the same time giving an extra incentive to be reading. The children were really excited, enthusiastic and genuinely motivated to read in a good cause, helping children who are in hospital.

“We would like to thank family and friends who supported the children in raising such a splendid amount.”

Readathon is run by the UK charity, Read for Good, which uses the sponsorship money raised to provide a regular supply of much needed brand new books and regular storyteller visits for all the major children’s hospitals in the UK.

Each hospital has a tailor-made, mobile bookcase, which is jam-packed full of the latest best sellers and classic favourites, enabling children to choose just what they fancy, without risk of infection.

Justine Daniels, CEO of Read for Good, added: “We find that children are really motivated to read when they know that the money they raise through reading, helps to buy a regular supply of brand new books and storyteller visits for children in hospital.

“To say thank you for their tremendous efforts, we’ve teamed yp with Scholastic Book Clubs to give Whitstone free books. We hope that these books will in turn inspire even more pupils to get reading — for good.”