Families from across the borough came together at Barking Learning Centre on 20 October to celebrate Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and encourage more local parents and carers to sign up to the free book gifting programme.
The event featured play activities, story-themed sessions, information for parents and carers, and a special appearance from a Dolly Parton impersonator, helping to create a fun and memorable experience for children and families.
Delivered in partnership with Barking and Dagenham Council, the programme gives eligible children from birth to age five access to a free, high-quality book every month, delivered directly to their home. Children enrolled from birth can receive up to 60 books before they start school, helping to build confidence, language skills and a lifelong love of reading.
The celebration was organised to raise awareness of the programme locally and encourage more families to take advantage of the opportunity. Research consistently shows that reading with children from an early age can support speech and language development, improve school readiness and strengthen family reading habits.
Cllr Jane Jones, Cabinet Member for Children's Social Care, Education and Schools, said:
"Every child deserves the best possible start in life, and reading together from an early age can make a huge difference to a child's development, confidence and future opportunities.
"We're proud to support Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Barking and Dagenham and help more families access free books at home. It's a fantastic programme that encourages a love of reading and gives children the foundations they need to learn, grow and thrive."
Helen Hastle, Regional Director, Dollywood Foundation UK, said:
"Receiving a book of their own every month can spark a child's imagination and give families more opportunities to enjoy stories together. We're delighted to be working with Barking and Dagenham Council to bring Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to local children, and we'd encourage eligible families to sign up. A huge thank you to players of Postcode Lottery, whose support is making this possible and helping us share the joy of reading with more families."
About Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book gifting programme in the world. The flagship programme of The Dollywood Foundation has gifted almost 8 million free books to children in the UK, and over 300 million in total across the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
The Imagination Library posts almost 78,000 high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to enrolled UK children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More, Be More™.
The programme has been widely researched and results demonstrate the positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
For more information, visit: United Kingdom - Dolly Parton's Imagination Library