Literacy will take centre stage in Kent next year following KM Group's decision to make 2017 its Year of Reading.

The educational campaign will have a dual focus and showcase the variety of initiatives used in schools and the community to champion literacy. It will also aim to encourage more school's to sign up to the KM Charity Team's successful home reading initiatives, Buster's Book Club, which turns children into reading millionaires.

The campaign will be launched at the annual KM Charity Team Forum being held at the Mercure Great Danes Hotel, Maidstone on Monday 3 October and free tickets to attend the launch can be obtained by visiting the website www.kmcharityteam.co.uk and clicking on the Forum or event booking tabs.

During 2017 a number of major events will be staged that have literacy at their heart including the Kent Teacher of the Year Awards and Kent Literacy Awards, but it is the home reading initiative Buster's Book Club used by primary schools and special schools that will take the spotlight as the 11,000 families involved try to become reading millionaires by collectively reading more than one million minutes.

Buster's Book Club uses the KM Triple Challenge to excite children about reading and provides a Reading Class of the Week Trophy, monthly inter-school challenge where the class that is top or most improved for reading wins tickets to leisure attractions including Leeds Castle, Silver Blades ice skating rink, Wildwood or Canterbury Tales.

The third part challenges pupils to collectively read more than one million minutes of reading. Last academic year 2.8 million minutes of reading was achieved and this year scheme organisers are aiming for 4 million.

Simon Dolby from the KM Charity Team said: "KM's Year of Reading will shine the spotlight on the great initiatives used to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in the county's schools as well as challenging children to hit an all-time high figure for the number of reading minutes achieved through our simple to deliver scheme, Buster's Book Club. I hope as many schools as possible send a representative to attend the launch of KM's Year of Reading."

The campaign is supported by Orbit, Golding Homes, Kent County Council, Medway Council, Bexley Council, 3Rs teacher recruitment, Kent Reliance, Whitefriars, Specsavers and Bel UK.

To keep up to date with the campaign sign up to the KM Charity Team's monthly e-newsletter, KM Charity Link, at the website www.kmcharityteam.co.uk