Summer Reading Road Trip winners announced

The Buller District Libraries annual Summer Reading Road Trip has come to an end, with 32 major prize winners being drawn this week.

This year 142 children signed up for the challenge, committing to read every week during January. Students came into the library each week to collect spot prizes for their efforts.

Everyone who completed each stage went into the draw to win the main weekly prizes, which consisted of a total of 30 $50 vouchers for books, sporting equipment or games. Two winners selected from all the completed entries each win a Chromebook.

Library Manager Nicky Meadowcroft says: “Lewis Bowden of Westport was beaming when he received his prize at his school assembly this week! Lewis loves reading. His Mum, Davinia, said he was determined to read every day of the Summer Reading Road Trip!”

The second recipient was Scott Nyenhuis of Reefton. He is also an avid reader and enjoyed spending quality time with his family while reading together during the holidays.

“The Summer Reading Programme is Buller District Libraries’ biggest event of the year. Our Community Engagement Librarian, Janelle Hooper, does a fantastic job organising this event. We start working on it in September, applying for funding, designing the artwork, choosing prizes, producing marketing material, promoting to students and hosting a signup day.

We then deliver the programme throughout January, and finally wrap it up in February when we draw the prizes and present them to our winners” says Mrs Meadowcroft.

Encouraging young people to continue reading over summer helps to prevent the ‘summer reading slide’ that often occurs over the holidays.

The programme also gives children a great deal of satisfaction and a feeling of self-driven achievement.

Buller District Libraries staff offer their thanks to Pub Charity Ltd and local contributors for funding the Summer Reading Programme again in 2024.

The biggest thank you goes to the 142 students who took part in the reading challenge over the month of January.

Library staff have had a huge amount of positive feedback from the children involved.

Mrs Meadowcroft says: “They seemed to really enjoy receiving the weekly spot prizes - it gave them a great incentive to keep reading each week, and it was fun for them to choose their own prize.”

The students who signed up to the challenge were very dedicated, with hardly anyone dropping out, making the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge another great success!

Names of the 30 voucher recipients have been published on the Buller District Libraries Facebook page.

-ENDS-
For further information please contact:
Manager Library
Nicky Meadowcroft
[email protected]