Grimsby Town Foundation celebrated World Book Day by delivering more than 1,500 free books to local schools as part of the Premier League Primary Stars programme.
The giveaway took place across the Foundation’s Priority Partner schools and was supported by the World Book Day Charity and the National Year of Reading initiative. It forms part of the Premier League partnership with the National Literacy Trust, which aims to inspire a love of reading and support literacy development among primary school pupils.
Helping to deliver the books were Mighty Mariner along with Grimsby Town first-team players Cameron Gardner and Maldini Kacurri, who visited several schools to surprise pupils and take part in the celebrations.
As well as receiving their free books, pupils had the opportunity to read short excerpts from their favourite stories to the Mighty Mariner and the visiting players. The activity encouraged children to build confidence in reading while sharing their enthusiasm for books.
Each school also received a number of World Book Day vouchers to distribute to pupils. These will be used to reward children who have made strong progress with their reading, helping to recognise their efforts and encourage continued engagement with literacy.
The day proved to be a fantastic celebration of reading, with pupils excited to receive their new books and proud to share their stories with the club’s special guests.
The Grimsby Town Foundation would like to thank all of its Priority Partner schools for their continued support in helping deliver programmes that inspire young people both in the classroom and beyond.
Through initiatives such as Premier League Primary Stars, the Foundation will continue working with schools across the region to promote literacy and a lifelong love of reading.
Tharme Visits Littlecoates Primary
As part of the day’s celebrations, Doug Tharme visited Littlecoates Primary Academy to share a special reading session with pupils in the school library.
Children from Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 gathered to listen as the Grimsby Town defender read Spinderella by Julia Donaldson. The popular children’s story follows a football-loving spider who lives in a school and dreams of becoming a footballer, making it a perfect choice for the occasion.
Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the session, enthusiastically joining in as the story unfolded and sharing their thoughts about the characters. The visit provided a fun and engaging way to celebrate World Book Day while reinforcing the message that reading can be both enjoyable and inspiring.
The session concluded with pupils having the opportunity to ask Doug questions about football and reading, before posing for photos to mark a memorable visit.
To find out more about the work of Grimsby Town Foundation, click here.
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