A group of county councillors are helping to fund a campaign aiming to empower primary school pupils to take a leading role in driving up literacy standards in Kent.

The KM Charity Team’s Literacy Stars 2019 initiative will support groups of pupils to lead projects promoting or developing reading, writing, speaking or listening skills in their schools.

The participating pupils will receive limited-edition Literacy Stars T-shirts and special framed certificates in honour of their achievements.

They will also be in contention for recognition at the 2020 Kent Literacy Awards.

Fifteen Kent county councillors are supporting the programme by funding schools in their divisions.

They include Wilmington Cllr Anne Allen MBE, who said: “I’m delighted to support this initiative, and look forward to visiting the schools in my division and seeing pupils work on it.”

KM Charity Team chief executive Simon Dolby said: “Thank you so much to all of the councillors who have made the generous decision to help fund Literacy Stars 2019.

“This is such an exciting project, which aims to empower young people to take a leadership role in raising literacy standards and engagement across Kent.

“We’re hoping that children can use their imagination and creativity to devise, adapt, develop and lead projects that will have a positive impact throughout their schools.”

Literacy Stars 2019 projects should involve groups of up to 15 children, and ideas might include posters, special assemblies, debates and induction events to encourage parents to take a more active role in their children’s reading – the only condition is that they are pupil-led.

Special packs will be delivered to participating schools in October, and it is hoped that projects will be up and running by December.

The full list of councillors supporting Literacy Stars 2019, and their divisions, is:

Charlie Simkins, Ashford Rural West

Emma Dawson and Liz Hurst, Birchington & Rural, Thanet

Rory Love OBE, Cheriton, Sandgate & Hythe

Penny Cole, Dartford East

Nigel Collor, Dover Town

Ian Chittenden, Maidstone North East

Trudy Dean MBE, Malling Central

Matthew Balfour, Malling Rural East

Tony Hills, Romney Marsh

Mike Whiting, Swale West

Michael Payne, Tonbridge

Anne Allen MBE, Wilmington

Peter Oakford, Tunbridge Wells North

Paulina Stockell, Maidstone Rural West.