Cheshire Kids 'Reading for Life' events

Volunteering, jobs & education

'Reading for Life' has helped educate primary school aged children and teachers about disability and neurodiversity. Authors shared their first hand experience of having a disability or being neurodivergent and talked about why it's important to see disabled and neurodivergent characters in stories, raising awareness and promoting inclusivity.

Arts, culture & heritage

We gave thousands of primary school aged children the opportunity to take part in live Q&A sessions with authors and illustrators, who not only taught them about the importance of representation and diversity in children's literature, but also inspired them to tell their own stories. We ensured a wide range of books were featured within the sessions, ensuring children with different abilities and conditions were able to see characters just like themselves. They got to hear first hand about how to become an author or illustrator and were given tips, advice and encouragement on writing for fun and sharing their own personal stories. We also provided inclusive books to school libraries and homes across the region to help give a legacy of promoting positive inclusive messages.

Activity, health and leisure

We offered 100 copies of the books featured in the project to families and schools providing them with access to inclusive children's literature. The books featured, included main characters with autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and other physical disabilities. By providing copies of these books we aimed to provide a long-term impact and a legacy helping grow disability awareness through reading.