Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation provided $23,000 in funding to Books in Home Australia, which has used the money to support the two local institutions. 

The donation of 2500 books will help students embark on a new reading program run by Books in Home Australia.

Charitable Foundation chairman Michael Slater said Books in Homes was designed to motivate families and students to view reading as an everyday activity.

“This project provides an opportunity to support and enhance the literacy and long-term life outcomes of 290 children in Bathurst,” Mr Slater said.

“The Charitable Foundation funding will enable the purchase of more than 2500 books for the school.

“Research has shown that children are more engaged with reading when they choose which books to read. The Books in Homes program allows students to actively participate in shaping their education and aims to build a love and passion of reading.

“Through the program, parents, teachers and the broader school communities will continue to model, teach and promote reading within the classroom and at home.” 

Kelso Public School principal Lance Cooper was excited to be part of the Books in Homes program and thanked Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation for supporting local students.

“According to the Australian Early Development Index Data collected in 2013, 28 per cent of our students were developmentally vulnerable in language and cognitive skills,” Mr Cooper said.

“Books in Homes offers our students the opportunity to turn this statistic around.

“Every child, regardless of their social or economic background, has the capability and right to learn to read. With the Books in Homes program we now have the avenue to achieve this goal at our school.”