YOUNGSTERS in Ealing will be encouraged to develop a love of reading through a partnership between the National Literacy Trust and Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre.

As part of the trust’s Young Readers Programme, 250 pupils from Hathaway Primary and Grange Primary schools will take part in three events where each child will be given the opportunity to choose a free book to keep at each session.

The final event of the three will involve the children visiting the shopping centre, where they will be able to take part in a reading session to build on their learning in a leisure environment.

Research shows that close to one in four children in England cannot read well by the age of 11. This rises to two in five among children from low-income families.

The Young Readers Programme – supported by funding from the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre – is designed to encourage reading for enjoyment, which can lead to improved attainment.

Andrew Rollings, centre director at Ealing Broadway, said: “This partnership is a great opportunity for us to reinforce links with the local community, whilst addressing an important issue in the form of young people’s literacy.”