2 July 2018

The best spots to enjoy reading a book in the county of Suffolk have been declared by school children as part of a Suffolk Day challenge set by local reading charity Beanstalk. The charity launched a challenge among primary schools in the area to share their favourite reading spots with a chance of winning a special school visit from Suffolk based author and Beanstalk supporter Lisa Thompson.

Suffolk Day took place on Thursday, 21st June 2018 and celebrated all the wonderful things Suffolk is known for. The winning entries for the special challenge set by Beanstalk came from Rose Hill Primary in Ipswich and St Joseph's in Sudbury after they shared fantastic photos of themselves via Twitter reading in the beautiful spots of Holywells Park and The Croft in Sudbury with the hashtag #bestreadingspotinsuffolk.

Rose Hill Primary posted their photos and said:

“We love Holywells Park and the giant tree providing the perfect shade and space for reading in Suffolk. There is a brilliant circle of logs and a giants reading chair, an amazing space for the whole class to read together.”

Alongside photos of The Croft, St Joseph’s Primary Tweeted:

“Children from Samson and Solomon enjoying the sunshine with some great books! The Croft in Sudbury is delightful to read in with lots of natural sounds and a peaceful environment to immerse yourself in.”

As a result each school will get the fantastic opportunity to meet Lisa Thompson, author of award-winning book ‘The Goldfish Boy’.

Claire Wall, Suffolk and Norfolk Beanstalk Team Leader, said:

"It was wonderful to see the county come together to celebrate Suffolk Day and to hear about the beautiful and inspiring places where Suffolk children love to read a great book. Beanstalk feels very proud to be part of the Suffolk community supporting local schools and encouraging children to love and develop their reading skills. We are currently looking for more Suffolk volunteers to support children in local nurseries and primary schools to develop their love of stories and reading skills. If this could be you please call 0845 450 0307.”

Each volunteer is trained by Beanstalk and helps children one-to-one, every week at a local primary school or early years setting. The sessions are fun, interactive and hugely beneficial to the children receiving extra support. If you would like to get involved as a volunteer click here.