Community events and celebrations have been few and far between during what some are calling a ‘doomed decade’.
The 20s haven’t exactly been joyous have they, thus far? We haven’t had an awful lot to celebrate which has in turn made the things that have got us smiling matter that little bit more. One community project that put smiles on lots of little faces last summer was the brilliant Bearsted Book Hunt.
CommunityAd are delighted to announce the project is returning again this summer and better still we were gifted a chat with its organiser marvellous Megan. As a daughter of two teachers Megan grew up in a house brimming with books, and recalls fondly trips to the library where she and her brother would max out their library cards forcing their dad to carry a rather weighty bag home.
Megan, who cites that famous Wizard among her favourite titles, knows the importance of reading and the magic of books in this ever-increasing digital world, stating:
“Books offer a welcome change of pace in our increasingly busy and bright environment, not only for children independently, but for parent/child shared activity. My children really love their tech and toys but if you asked them if they’d like to cuddle up with myself or my husband and read a book, I know they’d choose that in a heartbeat, it’s the 1-2-1 time they crave and reading is a shared hobby.
“Audio books and online reading have their place too, but especially when children are young there is so much that can be said for the intimate and social sharing of books with others – for them to truly understand a story, to develop listening skills and imagination, translate illustrations and talk about the characters… I can’t advocate enough for the importance of reading on a child’s development. To think that a few, inexpensive or free, pieces of paper glued together can make such a significant difference is incredible.”
So Megan, firstly, to anyone unaware what is the Book Hunt all about?
The Bearsted Book Hunt is a non-profit community project that I set up last year. Brand new free books are hidden around the local area for children to find, read, keep or re-hide. These books are generously funded by donations from local businesses and individuals. The aim is to encourage local children to read for pleasure and to provide a free opportunity for those that may not have ready access to books at home. It also inspires a fun family trip out in the fresh air, more than once if they choose to re-hide them! The books are hidden around the Bearsted and Madginford area, in the Woodland Trust, at Mallards Way and around residential streets. The hunt will this year be taking place on Sunday 10th July.
As organiser what do you enjoy most about the role?
It is so rewarding to know that by the end of the school summer holidays there are literally hundreds of new books in local children’s homes. If even one of those makes a difference to a child’s confidence, skills or enjoyment then it’s worth it. My children, Seren (7) and Jacob (4) also thoroughly enjoy hiding the books with me which is fun!
Last year’s proved so popular, didn’t it? Were you surprised at how the community backed the project and got completely involved?
I was completely taken aback last year by the popularity of the event. Local businesses were enthusiastic and very generous in offering their support, and the community were head over heels tracking books down. At one point books were being spotted more quickly than my kids and I could hide them! This year I really want it to be bigger, with more books and a single launch day – hopefully this will give everybody a fair shot at picking one up.
Any particular highlights stand out?
Last year I overheard more than one child finding a book, and to see how excited they were was so inspiring. It was also heartwarming to speak to so many local business owners and managers that were willing to help, I felt very lucky to live in such a supportive community.
This year the aim is for even more of the community to get involved, isn’t it? Why should they and how can they?
If any local businesses or individuals would be willing to support the Bearsted Book Hunt I would ask them to please get in touch with me directly, only a £1 donation will put a book into a child’s hands. If anyone is able to support the cause in other ways, such as helping to hide books on the day, displaying a poster, or sharing a post on social media I would also be extremely grateful. The more we can spread the word, the more books we can fund, the bigger difference we can make.
Anything else to add, please feel free?
I live in Bearsted, am a part-time pre-school practitioner (teacher) at a local pre-school and my children attend a local primary school. I offer my time to The Bearsted Book Hunt and other community projects (such as the Christmas Gift Bags for the Bearsted & Downswood Angels, of course including books, last year) for free. In my free time I run a little book business called ‘Book Bugs’ in partnership with Usborne which enables me to work directly with schools and nurseries.
I will be available on a stall at the newly launched Bearsted Market on the Green, on the first Sunday of every month. My website is www.bookbugs.co.uk and I can be found on Facebook and Instagram @meganbookbugs. Donations can be made directly to my JustGiving page.
“Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator for success in life, more than family circumstances, educational background or income” – Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development