The launch event for the Letterbox Club Orange parcel took place on 15 October at Portcullis House in London with the support of our new patron, Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP.
The event was a great success and a wonderful chance to talk about the impact of the award-winning Letterbox Club programme. Speakers included Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Matthew Blood - Tri-borough Virtual Head, Westminster, and Dr Rose Griffiths.
Speaking at the launch, Booktrust chief executive Viv Bird said:
'Too many children in care underachieve in education. Letterbox Club's parcels are designed to encourage fun learning. Research shows that many children are making significant gains in their standardised reading scores and improving on their maths.
'Carers tell us time and time again how excited children are when the parcel arrives, how much the children enjoy reading their own books, and how Letterbox Club helps to improve literacy and numeracy skills.'
Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, whose sister persuaded authorities not to put him in care after their mother died, said:
' The Letterbox Club provides the means for disadvantaged children to escape into another world and through doing so, helps to transform their lives.'
Letterbox Orange is aimed at five- to seven-year-olds and includes books, maths games, stationery and other educational suprises in a personally addressed parcels, delivered to their homes. The brightly coloured parcels - Orange, Blue, Red, Green and Yellow - covering four different age groups and children with special educational needs, are sent out once a month for six months and are eagerly anticipated by the children.
Here are some of our favourite pictures from the day:
Download the full press release
Five minutes with Alan Johnson
Read a review of Alan Johnson's latest memoir, Please, Mister Postman
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