British Council and HSBC kick off 2013 Kids Read programme

• Over 100 students expected to participate in a free reading event held at the British Council on 27^th April
• The theme of the reading event is ‘The Value of Money’

Kids Read - the award-winning programme, which encourages primary students to read for pleasure, inside and outside the classroom – will kick off its 2013 reading series with  a community event under the theme ‘The value of money’. The free event, which is open to the public, willbe held at the British Council on the 27^th April from 3pm – 6pm.

Currently in its second year, the Kids Read initiative developed by the British Council and sponsored exclusively by HSBC Bank Middle East Affiliates Ltd, continues to promote good reading habits amongst primary age students in government schools across 11 countries across the Middle East  and North Africa

To date, Kids Read has reached 25,000 children and aims to double this number in 2013 to reach 50,000. In the UAE, Kids Read is working closely with the Ministry of Education and 13 government schools across Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The programme currently involves 5,000 school children, 6 supervisors and 55 teachers.

Jancis McGrady, English Projects Manager at the British Council, commented: “As part of our continuous goals to promote education and cultural opportunities, we launched Kids Read to encourage reading outside the classroom and help children in the community enjoy the excitement and stimulation of the written word.

“We are very happy with our success to date and are looking forward to an enduring partnership with HSBC to expand the programme, reach more children, achieve our goals and deliver our promise to the community.”  

Four community events are held each year to raise awareness of important world issues linked to of HSBC Corporate Social Responsibility themes: Volunteerism and Helping Others, The Value of Money, Arts and Culture, and Environment.

Ammar Shams, Regional Head of Corporate Sustainability,HSBC MENA, said: “Kids Read provides the perfect long-term platform and opportunity for HSBC to give back to the community in the countries where we operate in the region. Some of our more important sustainability themes – including education and community investment - are reflected in the programme and we’re excited about what it will achieve in 2013.

He adds: “We’re also delighted to see so many HSBC employees continue to get involved with the project, by volunteering to read stories and lead arts and crafts activities with students. Many come back time and again, because they see the difference it can make to children’s lives.”

Free and open to the public, the Kids Read community events are designed to be fun and engaging, for children and families. The event on 27^th April will consist of storytelling and arts and crafts for children along with a  workshop for parents about supporting the development of children’s English language skills.

To attend the community event on the 27^th April at the British Council, please register at www.britishcouncil.org/uae.