25th Jan, 2018

'Read for Good' - New Partnership with 'Listening Books'

          

The NNUH has worked in partnership with the charity ‘Read for Good’ for a number of years.  This has helped to fund a wonderful case of books for the use of children and young patients on the wards, but also for the reading and live performance of stories by specially trained storytellers.  The NNUH is very lucky to have Amanda Smith as a professional storyteller on board!

Amanda Smith is originally from Nottingham, and performs as a professional story teller at clubs, festivals, art venues and community groups for young children, older people and people with mental health challenges.  She has recently worked with Nottingham University taking storytelling to KS1 children and their parents, as well as for local mining heritage organisations.  Amanda previously had a background in arts project management, before becoming a freelance storyteller in 2009.  Coming from a rooted understanding of the oral tradition, Amanda finds live storytelling so important because the task before her is to create a live engagement with the audience in as many brilliant ways as possible!   More information about Amanda and her work can be found on her website here: https://amandasmithstoryteller.weebly.com/

‘Read for Good’ provides a regular supply of books along with storytellers to brighten the days of children in all of the main UK hospitals.   Children unable to leave their bed can choose books to be brought to them on a specially designed bookcase that can be wheeled to their bedside!  The books are brand new, and for that reason they are safe from infection.

‘Read for Good’ supports 30 hospitals, 230 storytelling days a year along with 25,000 books each year too.  Now, 'Read for Good' have begun a new partnership with the charity 'Listening Books' and this is something we hope to bring to the NNUH.

'Listening Books' is a UK Charity that provides audio book library services to children and adults who struggle to read due to illness, disability, learning or mental health difficulties.    The partnership between ‘Read for Good’ and ‘Listening Books’ began in 2016 as part of a pilot study to investigate how best to supply this service to children in hospital.   Staying in hospital can be particularly distressing for children or young people, perhaps separated from their parents for the first time.  Access to the audiobooks can help reduce pain, anxiety or loneliness and provide a welcome and imaginative distraction from what could be an otherwise difficult experience in hospital.  Access to these books, whether they are imaginative or educational, can help students keep up with their learning in a fun and interesting way too.

Currently, Listening Books has over 3000 titles in their library for use to membership partners that children can borrow from, including bestsellers such as ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ by J.K Rowling, ‘Billionaire Boy’ by David Walliams, ‘Matilda’ by Roald Dahl, as well as excellent educational items including ‘Totally Awesome Archaeology’ by Nick Arnold, ‘Under the Weather: Stories About Climate Change’ by Tony Bradman and ‘How to Make a Universe with 92 Ingredients’ by Adrian Dingle.

The project is funded by charitable trusts, so there is no cost to the hospital and any equipment that is damaged can be replaced for the duration of their membership.

If you would like more information on Listening Books, this can be found on their website: https://www.listening-books.org.uk/

The ‘Read for Good’ website can be found here:

http://readforgood.org/join-the-fun/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1b6HnJXu2AIVCC0ZCh1d_w45EAAYASAAEgI_1vD_BwE

We hope this partnership with be fun and beneficial for everyone involved!

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