Reading Rights in Barnsley: 'We need to understand the value of the assets we have locally, and really use them'

The summit was a key milestone of BookTrust’s Reading Rights campaign, led by children’s author Frank Cottrell-Boyce, to ensure being read to from birth isn’t an invisible privilege, but a universal part of childhood. 

“At the Reading Rights Summit, the wide range of benefits of reading really struck me,” says Anna. ​“Things like bonding and attachment, and how important these are for children’s welfare.

Anna then approached BookTrust to explore opportunities to collaborate and deepen the impact of existing routes to early reading support for families in Barnsley. 

“I’ve worked for the NHS and local government for a long time,” Anna says. ​“We need to understand the value of the assets we already have locally, and really use them. 

“Health visiting teams are an incredible resource. I’d love for us to partner with them more. At the same time, health visitors are overstretched, so it’s about taking a multi-disciplinary approach. For example, our community support team [who work in tandem with health visitors] do additional work with families and they bring books and resources with them. 

“I’m also a massive advocate for the local voluntary sector and libraries. I would encourage us all to look at these as local assets and really think about how we bring those together to get better outcomes for children.”

Since Summer 2025, BookTrust and Barnsley Council have been collaborating on a community-led project exploring how together we can deepen shared reading habits from a child’s earliest days that are vital for supporting family life, relationships, brain development and long-term opportunity. 

A key part of this project has been convening a task force of experts in Barnsley across public services, alongside experts from BookTrust, to share ideas for building on existing shared reading support for families locally, and foster closer collaboration between different partners. 

Anna says: ​“It’s really exciting working with BookTrust, library colleagues, health visitors, midwives, the voluntary sector, seeing them all come together around a shared love of reading and getting children and families reading, and looking at how that’s going to make a huge difference.” 

Will Carr, BookTrust’s Senior Partnerships Manager for North England, says: ​“Within Barnsley, which faces some specific challenges around health, the Dearne Valley is somewhere we felt we could make a deep impact.” 

As one of the most under-served areas in the UK, with low adult literacy rates, The Dearne Valley was chosen as an area of South Yorkshire to focus the efforts of the task force. Informed by the priorities and experiences of families and professionals in the Dearne, BookTrust and Barnsley Public Health identified some key outcomes they’d like to see for families in the Dearne as a result of this project. 

One of these is building greater trust with families who feel less supported, so that they feel more inclined to access non-judgmental, relatable support with sharing books. Another desired outcome is for parents and carers to feel that shared reading has supported them to bond with their children. 

Improving signposting for support in The Dearne was cited as another priority. Finally, it was important that the project creates a legacy of support, rather than simply a one-off intervention. 

“Over the past year, our aim has been to reach 400 additional children in the Dearne,” says Will. ​“And this collaboration has brought new relationships with key community organisations that have helped bring us closer to families there.” 

Julie Hayward, BookTrust’s Director of Partnerships, says: ​“The practitioners here work with these families at local level every single day. They know the issues families face, and they have trusted relationships with them. 

“Meanwhile, we’re bringing BookTrust’s expertise and research to this project, to show what those mechanisms for impact are.” 

Danielle Walton is part of the Child Development Team in Barnsley. She works in tandem with health visitors and other professionals to support families with everything from weaning to school readiness, and signposts them to support when needed. 

By the time a child is three years old, the team will have made contact with families five times, including antenatally. During these moments with families, during home visits or at baby clinics, Danielle and the team also talk about the holistic benefits of sharing books. 

These conversations can be crucial moments to offer encouragement to parents and carers who aren’t confident readers. They provide a chance to give families advice and tools that overcome barriers to developing an early reading habit and unlocking the benefits.

“A lot of families don’t realise how important reading is from such an early age. They’re like: ​‘I have to read to my bump?’ Yes! It’s about getting in there early, and delivering that message.” 

For BookTrust, the project with Barnsley Public Health has led to the co-creation of new community-led programmes and approaches to embedding shared reading within local ecosystems and services. 

For example, BookTrust has been testing and developing new online training modules that equip early years professionals with the skills, knowledge and confidence to model best shared reading practice with families. 

This includes practical tips for sharing books with babies – from antenatally to newborn age – and group storytelling guidance for practitioners that host sessions for families. 

Danielle and the Barnsley Child Development Team have been sharing their experience and feedback to shape these training modules, including what would help them practically in their day-to-day work. 

“The online modules are perfect for a busy workload,” says Danielle. ​“They’re short, easy to follow, and they really break down everything, from the antenatal stage, to understanding the science behind reading to a baby. It’s really useful for everybody in the service.” 

BookTrust has also been working with the health visiting team in Barnsley – along with other partners – to test and develop a resource for families, in the form of a black-and-white illustrated booklet. It is designed to support health professionals to use both as an antenatal tool, and to use during visits with families to share messages about the positive impact of shared reading can have on babies, even before they are born. 

In Barnsley, parents and carers are invited by the Child Development Team to give the booklet a test-drive. 

Amy, who is here with her newborn baby, adds: ​“Some children might not have books – this might be their first. Having this from when they’re a newborn might help to give them that love of reading.” 

Sami Wilson, BookTrust’s Community Engagement Coordinator for North England adds: ​“By co-creating with our partners, BookTrust is getting a better understanding of what works well in these communities. 

“We’ll continue building on that learning and sharing it as we work towards ensuring every child, regardless of circumstance, can experience the joy and benefits of reading.”