Book club opens a new chapter
A BOOK club for local people with learning disabilities will be launched at this year’s Stratford-upon-Avon Literary Festival.
Heart of England Mencap launched an appeal in December, asking people to donate funds to buy Books Beyond Words — a series of picture books specially designed for people with learning disabilities.
The appeal was given a major boost by the Friends of Heart of England Mencap, with a £1,300 donation from funds raised at its firewalk in October.
Hundreds of pounds in individual donations have also been received, with shoppers at Waitrose in Alcester helping the appeal by dropping their green tokens into the Heart of England Mencap pot, securing £371 from the supermarket.
The charity has now been able to buy the first two bumper sets of books, plus the accompanying iPad apps. These will be available at all of its services across Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
Heart of England Mencap will also launch an Accessible Book Club at this year’s literary festival. The free event will run between 1pm and 3pm on Friday, 28th April, at Stratford ArtsHouse.
Lucy Bergonzi, the illustrator of the books, will be there on the day. She will also be helping Mencap customers to create their own book ahead of the event.
“The books are picture stories, perfect for adults with a learning disability who prefer to read using pictures rather than words,” Cath Errington, Fundraising Manager for Heart of England Mencap,” said.
Free tickets to the book club launch are available from 01789 207100.