More schoolchildren in Canterbury could benefit from a successful home reading scheme thanks to a talk by its founder.

Simon Dolby, chief executive of the KM Charity Team, visited Canterbury Rotary Club to talk about the Buster’s Book Club scheme, which encourages children to read by getting classes to compete with each other to see who can read the most.

Participating schools get a trophy to give out to the best reading class each week, and there are opportunities to win visits from authors and children’s TV presenters or tickets to Kent attractions. The scheme has proved particularly successful at motivating boys.

Rotary club members are now considering whether to follow in the footsteps of their Bexley counterparts, whose support has enabled two schools in Bexley and Dartford to join the scheme.

Also speaking to the club was former Canterbury High School pupil Rachel Hanagan, who hopes to compete in the 2022 or 2026 Winter Olympics in the skeleton – a sport in which competitors ride a sled head-first down a frozen track.

Mr Dolby said: “It was lovely to meet everyone at the club and to meet Rachel too, and to talk about how we might be able to work together.

“One of the Rotary Club’s areas of interest is education, so it was a real pleasure to speak to people who were so genuinely interested in what we do.”

Find out more about the reading reward scheme at www.bustersbookclub.co.uk