skip to main content

Reading initiative introduced at Barnsley Academy

Left to right: Catherine Spooner with Barnsley Academy's Library Resource Manager Olivia Barnard and students Jasmine Dunning,  Karol Balcerski and Sam Parsons, and at the back, Karina Bryant and Faith Mapongah
Left to right: Catherine Spooner with Barnsley Academy's Library Resource Manager Olivia Barnard and students Jasmine Dunning, Karol Balcerski and Sam Parsons, and at the back, Karina Bryant and Faith Mapongah

We teamed up with Barnsley Academy to support a reading initiative aimed at helping young people with mental health issues.

Called ‘Reading Well for Young People’ and run by national organisation The Reading Agency, the scheme provides 13-18 year olds with a unique catalogue of books recommended by health professionals and young people with first-hand experience of mental health issues. Teenagers taking part in the scheme, which is also supported by the Society of Chief Librarians and the Association of Senior Children's and Education Librarians, are discovering the positive effect of reading on mental health and wellbeing. We have helped to introduce ‘Reading Well for Young People’ to Barnsley Academy, by donating £350 to fund new recommended library books for the academy, including titles around mind-set and personal development.

Barnsley Academy’s Principal Stephen Dixon added, “Projects such as this are incredibly important in helping support the wellbeing of our students and we are delighted to be part of the scheme and extremely grateful to Henry Boot Construction for their support. This also reinforces our commitment to deliver an Education with Character – an education which introduces our students to new experiences and helps to broaden their horizons.”