Sunday 18 December 2016

Reading Matters 20 year Charity Ball & 'Closing the Literacy Gap' Conference

The latest Reading Matters newsletter features details of the 2017 'Closing the Literacy Gap' Conference and the 20 Years Charity Ball:

Join us to celebrate 20 years of Reading Matters at our Charity Ball

In 2017 Reading Matters will be 20 years old! That's two whole decades dedicated to improving reading skills and life chances for thousands of young people and we will be marking this important milestone with a '20th Anniversary' Charity Ball. The evening promises to be a wonderful occasion when, joined by friends old and new, we will celebrate everything we have achieved so far and raise money for our future.

The event is being held on Saturday the 11th of March 2017 in the magnificent Princes Ballroom at The Midland Hotel in Bradford. We will start with a drinks reception at 6.30pm, followed by a three course dinner and then a DJ set with plenty of time for dancing. We will also be holding an envelope draw and silent and live auctions during the evening and sharing a short film to commemorate 20 years of Reading Matters.

We have been very lucky to receive some fantastic prize donations from generous companies and individuals in the past and this support is crucial to the event's success. If you are able to donate a prize for The Charity Ball please contact Amy on 01274 692219 or amy@readingmatters.org.uk

Tickets are priced at £40 each and can be purchased individually or in groups. The dress code for the evening is 'glad rags', so it's your choice whether to wear black tie or evening dress, we just want you to wear what makes you happy!

The Midland Hotel are offering our guests a special overnight rate of £55 for a single or a double room, including breakfast. Please make your booking directly with the hotel, quoting the reference: REA110317.

We really hope that you will be able to join us for this very special occasion and are able to help improve the life chances of many more young people. Book your tickets now!
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Spotlight on a speaker: Andy Seed

As promised, over the next couple of months we will feature information about each of the speakers at our 'Closing the Literacy Gap' conference, which takes place on 29 June 2017 at Bradford City Football Ground, to give you an idea of what to expect on the day.

Today we will shine the spotlight on Andy Seed. Andy is the author of over 30 books and winner of the 2015 Blue Peter Book Award. He writes humorous non-fiction and fiction books and visits over 50 schools a year inspiring KS2 and KS3 pupils to get excited about reading. Andy is also a former teacher, well known for his All Teachers Great and Small series of memoirs.

At the conference, Andy will talk about 'The Power of Author Inspiration'. Is it possible for young people who have no interest in books to be inspired to read? Andy believes emphatically that the answer is yes! When a child or student meets an enthralling author who can bring books alive and who can communicate the transformational impact of reading with passion, humour and insight then attitudes can be changed. He will discuss how this can work in schools and become a springboard for closing the literacy gap.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear Andy and our other expert speakers sharing their ideas on 'Closing the Literacy Gap' on the 29th of June. The 'early bird' rate is just £85 and available till the 31.03.2017, after this date tickets will cost £100. Book here now!

Raise money for Reading Matters while you shop at Christmas

Did you know that you can raise money for Reading Matters, without any additional cost to yourself, by using Easyfundraising when you shop online this Christmas?

There are several, simple ways to do this and donations are paid directly from the Easyfundraising to Reading Matters.

1. Visit the easyfundraising.org.uk website, search for Reading Matters and register yourself as a supporter. Then search for the retailer you want to shop with and click through to their site using the green 'Go Shopping' button.

2. Install the Donation Reminder from the easyfundraising site - this means that a box will appear at the top of your screen if you are shopping with a retailer who participates. Take a look at the Donation Reminder and how it works here. The Donation Reminder doesn't work on mobile phones or tablets.

3. Prefer shopping on your mobile? Download the easyfundraising app from the App Store free of charge. More information can be found here.

Every time you shop a donation (usually around 3% of what you spend) is made to Reading Matters. Every little helps as they say and your support is very much appreciated. Thank you!