Our Hillingdon Book of the Year scheme is about improving the literacy levels of the children in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

The project also helped to re-introduce the concept of reading for pleasure, and has demonstrated key results such as:

• Higher levels of self-esteem
  
• Improvements in verbal expression
  
• Greater levels of social interactivity
  
• Improved key stage 1 and 2 results in schools participating in the scheme
  

Students are involved at

three educational levels:

• early years
• primary
• secondary

In 2007, the scheme reached more than 40 schools and more than 400 students within the borough.

We work closely with the Hillingdon Schools Library Service to develop and expand this programme in an effort to benefit all children in our borough.

This programme received a Food & Drink Federation Community Award, and was shortlisted for the 2007 IGD Unilever Social Innovation Award.