As a financial services organisation with its roots founded on helping people in communities to support themselves, Scottish Friendly is proud to continue our tradition of community involvement. For over ten years we have supported reading and literacy in Scotland by sponsoring Words on Wheels, an outreach tour organised by Scottish Book Trust, the independent organisation promoting literacy through reading in Scotland.
Now renamed the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour, 2009 will see the tour extend south of the border into Newcastle and Northumbria.
Each year, hundreds of children have enjoyed taking part in the interactive literacy sessions led by touring authors, illustrators and poets.
Recognition of our sponsorship activity culminated in two major awards presented in 2005: the Arts & Kids national award and the Arts & Business Scotland Arts & Kids award.
2009
The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour got off to a flying start in March when Dublin writer Oisin McGann presented to packed venues in Lanarkshire and Falkirk. He also made a guest appearance on GMTV to promote the tour!
Most recently, best selling author Steve Cole, famous for his novelisations of the Doctor Who series, really demonstrated the outreach remit of this sponsorship when he visited schools in Orkney and Shetland. You can see Steve in action by clicking here.
2008
2008 was a special one for the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour. Not only did Scottish Friendly provide support with a new vehicle to transport authors to towns and villages the length and breadth of the country, a stellar array of writers and illustrators took the magical and inspiring world of reading, writing and art to a spread of communities including Fife, the Borders, Morayshire and Perthshire. Authors included Simon Bartram pictured below with the new van and world-famous Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen, also pictured, who delighted children and adults alike.
For more information and Scottish Book Trust visit www.scottishbooktrust.com