Surrey County Council is delighted to announce the successful completion of the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge, a national initiative that Surrey Libraries participates in each year to support children to read over the summer holidays.
This year’s challenge saw an incredible turnout, with over 500 events and activities designed to foster a love of reading amongst children across the county.
Launched in every Surrey Library in July 2024, children aged 4 – 11 years old were invited to express themselves in creative ways, to tap into a world of imagination and storytelling and of course, to get reading! Children were challenged to read up to six library books to keep up their reading skills and confidence over the summer holidays.
Throughout the summer, Surrey Libraries hosted a variety of engaging events, including storytelling sessions, creative writing workshops, origami sessions and interactive reading games across 42 key libraries. These events not only encouraged children to read more, but also provided a fun and educational environment for them to explore new books and authors.
This year, Surrey Libraries experienced a significant rise in school visits for the Summer Reading Challenge, with a 15% increase from 2023 to 2024. The number of Summer Reading Challenge events also saw a remarkable growth of 52%, expanding from 330 in 2023 to over 500 this year. These events, including popular storytimes, provided more opportunities for children to engage with their local library.
This year, the number of children participating in the Summer Reading Challenge events increased by 34%, growing from 16,149 in 2023 to 21,654 this year with over 525,000 children’s books issued during the summer.
Denise Turner Stewart, Surrey County Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities said, “We are thrilled with the overwhelming response to this year’s Summer Reading Challenge in Surrey’s libraries. It is heartening to see so many young people in our community attending our fantastic events. Initiatives like the Summer Reading Challenge help children foster a lasting love of reading that brings so many benefits to them as individuals.
“By taking part in the Reading Challenge, they can enjoy all the personal and educational benefits that come from reading for fun, including developing their imagination and encouraging creative writing and the art of storytelling. Our library staff have done an outstanding job in organising many varied and entertaining events, and we look forward to continuing this tradition of promoting literacy and learning.
“Surrey Libraries are always bustling with activity, and you don’t have to be a member to pop in. If you haven’t visited recently, now is the perfect time to come on into any of our welcoming libraries across Surrey and find out what’s new.”
For more information about the upcoming events at Surrey Libraries, or to become a member, please visit www.surreycc.gov.uk/libraries
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