A BRAND new event specialising in encouraging children to read over the school holidays is taking place in Worcestershire over half-term.
The Upton Book Hunt will take place over the May half-term as a way to keep children engaged with reading during their time off from school.
Books will be hidden all over Upton Upon Severn in certain locations for children and families to find and read.
Clare Ashworth, who has organised the event, said: "I work as an independent partner for Usborne that provides a way to buy and sell books.
"I was previously a trained teacher so I have a lot of experience with books.
"I started selling them locally to friends and family, and I have worked with toddler groups to help get books for the organisation.
"Lots of children stop work or picking up a book in the school holidays, so the idea is to keep them engaged over half-term."
Upton Blues Festival, a local charity, is helping sponsor the event which, as well as spurring children to read, will be a big help to local businesses.
"As a charity Upton Blues Festival can't keep their profits," said Ms Ashworth.
"Each year you can apply for a special grant.
"They have a requirement to support local events, so I applied to them and they will sponsor the event and all of the books.
"We are working with local businesses in the high street too.
"They will hide the books in their shop window for people to find, which will also help increase footfall for their benefit."
Books will be hidden over the town each day of half-term, with 400 books being sponsored for the event.
Ms Ashworth said: "I work as part of a larger group and one suggested the idea of a book hunt.
"It went from there really, we thought it could work.
"There's a good community feel - people seem to get behind these sort of things.
"We've advertised the event over schools, nurseries; we have created posters and have a Facebook group where we will post clues and pictures of where the books are being hidden."
All of the books have been wrapped and include a poem for children to read, which they can take home or hide again.
"Hopefully it will be lots of fun," added Ms Ashworth.
"We have 400 books that are all aimed at primary school age children.
"Studies after Covid found one in five children don't have a book at home, which I thought was shocking.
"That's where this idea stemmed from."
The Upton Book Hunt will be held from Saturday, May 25 to Friday, May 31.
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