Back to the list
Hundreds of residents complete the six book challenge
We teamed up with Bolton College and took part in the Six Book Challenge national reading initiative to support adult literacy.
The annual campaign, organised by The Reading Agency, encourages adults to read for pleasure and increase their confidence in literacy.
This year, we hosted a celebratory event with Bolton College for those who completed the challenge. It featured a guest appearance and poetry reading from writer and performer Craig Bradley.
The finishing rate of the College’s participants has been consistently high over the past few years. More than 250 people completed last year’s challenge, winning the College the accolade of second highest in the UK. This year the busy bookworms smashed the record with a grand total of 285 finishers, scoring a hat-trick of three Gold Awards in three years.
Learners’ success in English and maths is one of Bolton College’s strategic priorities.
Peter Griffiths, Head of English and Maths at Bolton College, said: “The Six Book Challenge is about promoting reading for pleasure to as many people as possible. Many of the participants have learning difficulties or do not speak English as their first language, and hearing the student testimonies about how participating in this initiative has changed people’s aspirations is extremely moving. Many learners have told me that they have continued to read for pleasure after taking part in this event, and this is something to be really proud of.”
Marie Gilluley, Principal of Bolton College, added: “We have been involved in the Six Book Challenge for many years now, as literacy and numeracy is at the root of everything we do at Bolton College. Reading broadens people’s horizons, and improves their knowledge and communication skills – as well as providing escapism from the everyday pressures of life. It is always a pleasure to witness the positive impact the Six Book Challenge has on the lives of our learners.”
Carrie Riley, our Housing and Economic Coordinator, said: “Evidence suggests that literacy has a significant relationship to people’s life chances. However, as many as one in six adults struggle with reading. So we felt the challenge was a great opportunity to get more people motivated to read and build their reading confidence.”