AN experienced and long-standing councillor has been thanked for his efforts in trying to encourage reading among children in Wellington – thanks to the Imagination Library project spearheaded by the late music legend Dolly Parton.

Cllr Andrew Govier was thanked in a report which went before Wellington Town Council’s community committee on Monday (September 21).

“Thanks are extended to Cllr Govier for helping secure Imagination Library books for outreach through the Wacky Wednesday summer activities in Wellington,” said the council’s community development officer Laura Batcha.

“Remaining books were promoted for collection from the Kings Arms Community Hub – creating an additional route for parents to discover support and opportunities available not only at the Hub, but across Wellington.”

Legendary American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, who passed away last month aged 80, launched the Imagination Library in 1995 having been inspired by her father who never learned to read or write.

The project is a free book-gifting programme that sends out high-quality and age-appropriate books to children up to five to help foster early literacy and a love of reading. So far the Dolly Parton Imagination Library has seen more than 332 million books gifted across the world.

Now some of those books have arrived in Wellington and helping to nurture reading among young children in the town.

The town council is very much involved in making Wellington a “reading town” and the local library has continued to develop reading, storytelling and creative activities across the area.

Councillors heard that six local primary schools received Summer Reading Challenge assemblies, while 342 children signed up and so far 214 had completed the challenge where they had to read six books over the school summer holidays.

Wellington Library in Fore Street open from 9.30am to 5pm on Fridays and from Mondays to Wednesdays and from 9.30am to 1pm on Thursdays and Saturdays.