Lovell Reading Challenge a whole new ball game for Sheffield pupils!
Sheffield-based affordable housing and regeneration specialist Lovell has joined forces with Sheffield Homes and Sheffield United Football Club to help youngsters from four schools in the city improve their reading skills.
The company, which has offices in Maltravers Road, Sheffield, linked up with the club and Sheffield Homes for the Lovell Reading Challenge, held at Sheffield United’s Study Support Centre as part of the National Year of Reading. Members of staff from Lovell were joined by representatives from Sheffield Homes and staff at the Study Support Centre to hear pupils from Meersbrook Bank Primary School, Porter Croft Primary School, Norton Free C of E Primary School, Lower Meadow Primary School and Meadowhead School, read from a selection of texts and assist them in some literacy-based activities.
Lovell is the main sponsor of the Sheffield United Study Support Centre, which offers learning support to the city’s youngsters. Based at the Blades’ Bramall Lane ground, the Study Support Centre has forged strong links with the local community and currently works alongside more than 30 local primary and secondary schools. Under the Government’s Playing for Success initiative, the centre opens out of school hours to youngsters who need extra help with numeracy, literacy, IT skills and offers tuition from club employees and staff from Sheffield City Council’s education department.
Representatives from Lovell, Sheffield Homes and Sheffield United Football Club all took small groups of students and listened to them read aloud from their chosen books. They also spoke to the children about books that they enjoyed reading and read them some small excerpts. All of the pupils taking part received a National Book Token, donated by Lovell, worth £5.
“Events like this enable us to show youngsters how important that good literacy skills are and how much they will benefit them in the future,” says Lovell regional director Steve Hale. “As a local company, we are delighted to be involved in an event which helps to promote this in such a positive way.”
Andy Daykin, commercial manager at Sheffield United, adds: "Both Lovell and Sheffield United are committed to educational programmes across the community and this scheme offers the ideal opportunity for both organisations to work together with local schoolchildren and potential fans of the future with core learning skills."
Cllr Andrew Sangar, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Lifelong Learning, says: “It’s fantastic to see that Sheffield Homes and Lovell are helping to improve local literacy levels as well as local homes. This is just one of many initiatives that the Council and its partners will be involved in during the national Year of Reading.”
In Sheffield, Lovell is one of five constructor partners currently delivering the £669 million Decent Homes housing refurbishment programme with Sheffield Homes, on behalf of Sheffield City Council.