SKYCITY supports books for babes

SKYCITY supports Books for babes

A SKYCITY Auckland Community Trust grant of $6000 has enabled the 'Books for Babes Trust' to purchase new books for young children.

'Books for Babes' was set up by the Rotary Club of Auckland in 1998 and the Books for Babes Charitable Trust was established in 2003. The Trust aims to get books into homes of those who would not otherwise have access to them, and promote the importance of reading and learning. An average of 500 children benefit from this programme each year.

Books are distributed to families via the Plunket service and the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB). Daily, in the central Auckland region, 25 Plunket nurses and ADHB therapists visit families and among other services provide books for children aged under two years.

Liz Patterson, Co-ordinator, Books for Babes Trust says they are very lucky to have the support from the nurses and therapists to enable the Books for Babes programme to operate.

"Reading is such an important part of child development. The interaction between a child and caregiver creates a bond that is a vital step in the child's learning. Children begin to understand shapes and colours when a caregiver reads to them. Additionally, children learn the pronunciation of words, their meanings and later begin to read themselves," says Liz.

Jock Irvine, Chairman, SKYCITY Auckland Community Trust says having the ability to read well and understand words and their meanings is fundamental to a child's learning environment.

"Learning plays a major role in the life of every young person. The SKYCITY Auckland Community Trust is delighted to support the Books for Babes programme which assists in the development of young children," he says.

The SKYCITY Auckland Community Trust was established in 1996, as part of the SKYCITY Ltd Casino licence application process, to provide funds for community and charitable purposes. The Trust aims to help local and regional organisations carry out community assistance, focusing on projects related to health and education, tourism and entertainment, arts and cultural.

Each year, the Trust invites applications for grants from a wide range of community and charitable organisations. Funds available for distributions are 2.5% of the net annual profit from SKYCITY Auckland Ltd or a minimum of $500,000 per annum.

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