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Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and Salford City Council aim to inspire children to love reading

Salford children have helped to launch a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at Little Hulton Library today and have also enjoyed a fun storytelling session.
 
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and Salford City Council are inviting parents of children born in 2024 in Little Hulton, Salford to sign up to enrol in the programme.
 
Councillor Jim Cammell, Councillor Mishal Saeed, Councillor Teresa Pepper and Councillor Hannah Robinson Smith have also helped to launch the scheme.

Councillor Mishal Saeed, Councillor Teresa Pepper, Councillor Jim Cammell and Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith stood with a Dolly Parton pull-up banner
Salford City Council is funding the latest book gifting programme in the city which is devoted to inspiring a love of reading in children.
 
Inspired by her father’s inability to read or write, country music icon Dolly started her Imagination Library in 1995 for children in her home county. 
 
Today, her programme spans five countries and gifts over three million free books each month to children, regardless of the family’s income. 

Mum Juliet Agiye reading a book with son Asima
Last year, Dolly celebrated her 200 millionth book gifted milestone since inception, with over six million of those going to families in the UK.
 
The programme posts an age-appropriate book each month to children from birth to age five. The books are specially wrapped and addressed to the child and delivered, at no cost to the family. When children turn five, they receive a graduation book and a special letter to mark the end of the scheme.Simon Donn, Library Development Officer, leads a storytelling session with children from Little Hulton 

The Little Hulton scheme will provide books for local children, with Salford City Council providing additional funding to run the scheme. 
 
Councillor Jim Cammell, Lead Member for Children’s and Young People’s Services at Salford City Council, said: “It’s great news that we are able to launch another Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Salford. This will add to our work to improve educational outcomes and literacy for early years children in the city. This is particularly important as there continues to be a gap in Salford’s outcomes compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
 
“We are committed to working in partnership with all our communities to ensure Salford is a great place, where children get the best start in life, and can learn and develop the skills they need to thrive. We have recently launched a gold standard literacy hub with the National Literacy Trust, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will support the work of the hub by promoting reading from the early years of a child’s life.”
 
Meg Fletcher, Regional Director at The Dollywood Foundation from Dolly Parton Imagination Library, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Salford City Council to reach even more children in the community. We’re building on a strong history of programmes in the city thanks to the tireless efforts of our champions and hope that families enjoy receiving the books each month!”
 
The council’s Starting Life Well service, which works with all early years settings and schools, and the 0 to 19 years team in Little Hulton will promote and support the programme. 

Little Hulton Family Hub staff will be promoting the scheme and also using the books in their sessions with families.
 
The local library team in Little Hulton will also be supporting the programme, working with local families to promote literacy, and reading for pleasure more widely. There will be a set of books in each early years setting, school, the library and family hub as practical support for the project. 
 
Currently there are seven Dolly Parton Imagination Libraries based within Salford, operated through various community organisations such as schools and charities. 
 
Working towards Salford becoming a UNICEF Child-Friendly City is a priority in the council’s corporate plan, to ensure Salford is a great place for children and young people to grow up and feel safe, cared for, heard and have quality opportunities to play, learn and work. This will take the council on the next stage of its journey to improve education outcomes, support children to have positive and successful futures, and champion the voices and rights of children and young people in the city.
 
Salford is the 18th most deprived area in the country. Figures from 2022 and 2023 have shown that children’s starting points from early years have been below national average and by the time the children leave primary school Key Stage 2 outcomes are below national levels.
 
The Dollywood Foundation UK reports there are more than 680 children currently registered in Salford. Since 2013 2,000 children have been impacted by the programme and over 36,500 books sent to children in Salford. The enrolment does not involve means testing, all children in the area can be enrolled and receive the same books regardless of background.
 
Families with babies born in Little Hulton in 2024 or 2025 can enrol by emailing West.Locality@salford.gov.uk for more information.

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Date published
Monday 27 January 2025

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