The KM Charity Team was delighted to join the birthday celebrations of one of its key literacy partners last week.

KM Charity Team acting general manager Karen Brinkman was among the guests at celebrations to mark the 24th birthday celebrations of Specsavers’ Ashford store.

Specsavers has worked closely with the KM Charity Team for the best part of a decade, providing invaluable support with initiatives including reading-reward scheme Buster’s Book Club, the Kent Literacy Awards and the KM Media Group’s ongoing Year of Reading campaign.

Mrs Brinkman said: “It’s a real pleasure to be able to celebrate the success of Specsavers’ Ashford store.

“The company has been such a wonderful partner over the past decade, helping us to share our green travel and literacy services with children across Kent.

“We wish them continued success for many years to come.”

As a strong supporter of Buster’s Book Club, Specsavers is keen to visit schools to celebrate the hard work and improved literacy performance of pupils taking part in the scheme. Further details about these visits will be announced shortly.

The KM Charity Team is currently registering schools for Buster’s Book Club for 2020, with new schools and classes set to begin the programme in January.

The club uses a spirit of friendly competition to make books cool, and encourages children to read more at home.

Individual schools’ classes compete against each other, with a weekly trophy awarded to those that record the most home-reading minutes.

And monthly county-wide inter-school challenges reward the winners with tickets to leisure attractions or visits by celebrity storytellers.

Apart from Specsavers, Buster’s is supported by the Ernest Cook Trust, the Education People, Little Cheyne Court wind farm, the Kent Community Foundation, Golding Vision, Orbit, Medway Council, Leeds Castle, Diggerland, Hornby, Wildwood, Rotary, Acorns Read and Grow, the Crown Foundation, the Gibbons Trust, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Buckland Media and Kent County Council.

There is still time to register your school for Buster’s Book Club for 2020. Find out more at www.bustersbookclub.co.uk.