A charity is encouraging children to combine their love of reading with fundraising.
The Home-Start Cambridgeshire charity, alongside the local Waterstones branch, is launching the Big St Neots Read-a-thon, scheduled for the upcoming May half-term holidays.
Children from reception to Year 7 in St Neots are invited to engage in reading while supporting the charity's work aiding families with young children in the area.
Through the week of May 27 until May 31, youngsters are encouraged to read, log their minutes and gather sponsorship.
Waterstones has sponsored the prizes for the child who reads for the most minutes in every age group.
Then, on June 15, a special prize-giving ceremony will take place at Waterstones St Neots.
The event will feature children’s author and Home-Start Cambridgeshire patron, Pippa Goodhart.
Ms Goodhart viewed the initiative as a "fun incentive for children to pick up and read lots of books".
Local community involvement is encouraged, with shops promoting the event and schools pep-talking their students to participate.
Waterstones will arrange certain areas for young readers to lose themselves in the world of books.
St Neots Library is also an open place for readers to clock up some reading minutes.
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Speaking about the event, Claire Hoather, vice chair of trustees for Home-Start Cambridgeshire, said: “We are very excited about the possibilities that this event gives, and the local community supporting a local cause such as this is really powerful.
"We believe that children can do amazing things like this to help give other children the best possible start in life in the place we all call home.”
Children can register for the Read-a-thon challenge at homestartcambridgeshire.co.uk to acquire their sponsorship form, or by creating a JustGiving fundraising page linked to the event.
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