FANCY a slice of Wigansleydale Gromit?
Latics defender Emmerson Boyce will encourage children that reading can be cool with celebrated animator Nick Park’s most famous creations.
Wigan Athletic’s Premier League ‘Reading Star’ has chosen “Wallace and Gromit: The Bootiful Game” as his must read for 2009.
As part of the Premier League initiative to encourage children to pick up a book, Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust - who manage the borough’s libraries - has teamed up with Wigan Athletic to provide 20 children from four local primary schools with a special treat to promote the benefits of reading.
They’ll enjoy a tour of the JJB stadium on March 17 before a question and answer session with the star in the club’s press room.
Clues in some of Wallace and Gromit’s on-screen escapades show that the home town of the absent minded cheese lover and his dog is actually Wigan.
A point not missed by the star defender.
Emmerson said:
“Reading is essential to a child’s development and I hope I can impress upon them just how vital it is.
“Wallace and Gromit are fun characters that everybody loves and the fact that their home town is Wigan should ensure the children enjoy the book all the more.
“Hopefully, through this scheme we can encourage more families to use their libraries and read more books.”
Now in its seventh year, Premier League Reading Stars is an educational project which harnesses the motivational power of football to encourage families to enjoy reading. It targets those hard to reach groups in society who may not have shown an interest in reading but who do have a passion for football. Each of the 20 Premier League teams nominate a Reading Champion to recommend his favourite book.
Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust’s executive director Pete Gascoigne said:
“This is the fourth year we have worked with Wigan Athletic on this excellent scheme.
“Role models like Emmerson help overcome one of the major barriers to reading faced by young people – that it simply isn’t ‘cool’.
“Seeing your footballing hero promoting the benefits of reading can have a profound effect.”
Year 5 children from two schools in Platt Bridge – Holy Family and Platt Bridge Community school – along with youngsters from two Leigh schools – Leigh Central and Sacred Heart will tour round the stadium on March 17.
All 20 children will also have a chance to meet author Tom Palmer and be awarded their favourite book from Waterstones as part of the scheme.
Premier League Reading Stars is a unique partnership between the Football Foundation, Premier League, National Literacy Trust and Arts Council England.
The scheme has been running since 2003, with 99 different Premier League players now having acted as Reading Stars.
