YESTERDAY (16 December), Barratt David Wilson Homes South Wales gave residents at its Pentref Llewelyn development the ultimate Christmas gift — a miniature community library, encouraging children to find joy in reading this Christmas and beyond.
Already overflowing with books donated by locals and Barratt David Wilson staff, the library is a place where young people can swap an existing book with a new one of their choice — just like the pupils of Penllergaer Primary School.
Fifteen of the school’s ‘literacy leaders’ headed to the development to select a new second-hand book from the shelf to add to their collections and meet the team behind the new local development.
Sarah Burns, headteacher at Penllergaer Primary School, said: “Reading is not only an important life skill, but it is also a great pleasure — so it’s wonderful to see the students getting so excited about it.
“Having access to such a range of books is an amazing local resource, and I hope it will inspire some future bookworms in our community.”
The new communal library — located at the front of the development — is just one chapter in the story of Barratt’s commitment to encouraging children’s literacy. The housebuilder has worked with UK reading charity, Bookmark, since 2022 — donating over £100,000 to aid the charity’s mission of giving children the reading skills and confidence they need for a fair chance in life.
A recent survey of more than 1.2million pupils across the UK and Ireland revealed a 4.4% decrease in the number of books read by pupils year-on-year*. The housebuilder hopes that by engaging the community in reading, more pupils will look to pick up a book in their free time.
Lewis Allwood, Charity Champion for Barratt David Wilson Homes South Wales, said: “We are committed to making a positive impact in the communities we’re building in — particularly for young people who are the future of these communities.
“Christmas is a time for giving, so we hope the new library will encourage children and adults alike to swap and share books and festive cheer.”
To find out more about new homes in Penllergaer, visit the Barratt Homes website.
