A new project aiming to encourage parents to read daily to their young children to help raise literacy levels is being planned for the Chantry area of Ipswich.

Funding of £4,000 for the reading project is being sought from Ipswich Borough Council.

On Thursday, January 12, the authority's south-west area committee will decide whether to grant the money for the Let’s Talk Reading initiative.

The project aims to add weekly parent/baby sessions in the Chantry area, encouraging parents to read daily with their babies, toddlers and young children as well as offer guidance and a baby bank of clothes, food and books.

The requested funding would also be used to provide free books to each family attending the sessions, as well as all children in nurseries and from disadvantaged families.

The application reads: “Let’s Talk Reading aims to eradicate low literacy in Ipswich.

“Its projects are aimed at supporting parents/carers and children from birth to secondary school to help particularly disadvantaged people in South West Ipswich.

“This includes people where English is a second language; those with disability; those living in areas of high deprivation and where there is a lack of post-natal support for new parents.

“Projects are also based on the understanding that the early years are the most vital in the development of any child and that every new parent, no matter their circumstances should have access to postnatal and peer support.”

The project will cover five core activities, including the ‘Story Time’ readings and mini-libraries in early years settings with dual language books for those who do not speak English as their first language.

In addition to supporting children and facilitating peer-to-peer support between families, Let’s Talk Reading would offer free adult literacy coaching in partnership with the charity ‘Read Easy Ipswich’.

Let’s Talk Reading has also partnered with UK Babies and seeks to set up a weekly parent/baby group in Chantry from April 2023, called ‘PEEP’, which will run activities useful for babies’ development and provide guidance to parents.

Emphasis would be placed on reading, singing, and rhyming and parents will be given one free book per month in addition to access to a range of pre-owned books.