"Vicky’s story sharing is inclusive and joyful. She makes reading feel like a celebration, a comfort and a right."

Vicky Hough has worked in the Reader Engagement team for Bristol Libraries for many years. Her colleagues describe her as ​“the heartbeat” of the city’s early years library outreach. 

Vicky says: ​“I often say to people: ​‘Reading is as good as doughnuts…and I love doughnuts!’ and that makes them laugh. Wherever I am, I’m always trying to get across the idea that reading can be a funny, relaxing thing to do, that has so much to offer us.” 

Vicky uses BookTrust’s Bookstart programmes in her outreach work to engage with families with early years children who are less likely to have the time, money or confidence to share books together. She builds relationships with organisations across Bristol, prioritising settings experiencing higher levels of disadvantage, and visits them to deliver storytimes beyond the library walls, out in settings closer to where families live.

She also attends events at children’s centres to share Bookstart Early Years and Preschooler programmes with families, or, where they’re needed, Bookstart programmes for children with additional needs. 

Vicky says gifting families the high-quality Bookstart books and resources makes her feel ​“like Mother Christmas” but also helps open up conversations with families who have the most to gain from knowing about the support on offer at their local library. 

“BookTrust gives us the goodies to promote libraries,” she says. ​“We’ll say: ​‘Why don’t you come along to the library and borrow books? There are story times and crafts. There are no fines for children’s books, and you can take out 20 on a child’s ticket.’ People can’t believe it’s all free, they’re shocked.” 

Vicky also uses BookTrust’s dual language programme with families who speak English as a second language. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with community groups and early years settings that support resettled families in Bristol, to order and gift them high-quality bilingual picture books from BookTrust, featuring their first language as well as English – and she currently does this for 27 different languages spoken in Bristol. 

“As a library service, we also create welcome packs for refugee children, whenever we need them. They contain a dual language book from BookTrust, as well as stickers, an activity and information about the library. 

Vicky also uses Bookstart dual language picture books during outreach story time sessions, along with English books, where she knows many families present will speak English as an additional language. Her aim is to boost families’ vocabulary, comprehension and engagement with sharing stories together, as well as encouraging them to visit their local library. 

“Because I’ll often be reading to a diverse audience, I’ll use one of the BookTrust dual language books,” she says. ​“This helps me promote the dual language stock we have in Bristol’s libraries, too. 

“For example, there may be families in the audience who see there’s Gujarati text in the book, and they’ll come up to me after the story time and ask me if we stock Gujarati books in the library. I’ll then signpost them to Gujarati books, sign them up to the library and give them their dual language book from BookTrust.” 

Watch this video for Vicky’s advice on preparing and delivering a storytime for families who speak English as a second language. 

Vicky says: ​“Through our outreach work, people tell us all the time what worries them about coming to the library, or their misconceptions, so we know what the barriers are. We’re always working to break down those barriers and to make sure families feel welcome.” 

“Some parents will say to me: ​‘English is my second language; I can’t read that book to my child.’ Or: ​‘I can’t do it like you do it.’ I’ll say: ​‘You don’t have to do a performance like me. Share the book. Laugh at the pictures and the jokes.’ Our job in those situations is to reassure people that it’s really about sharing something together. It’s a chance to bond with your child in the best way possible.” 

She adds: ​“Every time I do an outreach event, or storytelling session, some people will come up to me at the end and say thank you, that they enjoyed it. Someone even said to me recently: ​‘That was kind.’

Vicky was a finalist for BookTrust’s Story Sharer of the Year Award 2025, which celebrates early years professionals who are using BookTrust programmes to bring the benefits of books and shared reading to families, and making a big impact on children’s lives. She was nominated by Leon Flower, Library Service Development Manager for Bristol Libraries. 

“With her wealth of experience and knowledge in outreach, libraries and early years work, she’s trained library staff in rhyme time delivery and curated storytime sessions using BookTrust books. She liaises with and attends children’s centres to promote Bookstart progammes and reading, and organises events across our whole network of libraries and beyond. 

“Her story sharing is inclusive, joyful, and deeply personal. One standout moment? A 30-year-old woman with global learning delay was gifted dual language BookTrust books in both Romanian and English by Vicky. Her family read them to her, creating a moment so touching it was described as ​‘magical.’ That’s the kind of impact Vicky makes every day.”