Riverhead Reading Retreat

Riverhead Infants’ School in Sevenoaks held multiple fundraisers to raise enough money to build an outdoor Reading Retreat for their pupils in the playground of their school in Sevenoaks.

New Head Teacher Andrew King, who had previously collaborated with ABC on a project at Longlands School in Sidcup, reached out to ABC for assistance in transforming the empty hut into a space that the pupils at the school could escape to and read.

The children overwhelmingly voted for a Jungle theme for their Reading Retreat and the ABC team couldn’t wait to get started.

ABC worked through the summer designing, preparing and preparing the Retreat, and on a sunny day in September, the library was finally revealed to excited pupils, teachers, parents and members of the local community. The honour of cutting the ribbon fell to Councillor Alan Layland, Chair of the Sevenoaks District Council. The children eagerly tore away the wrapping paper covering the windows, revealing the surprises inside! The children found jungle themed walls, a comfy reading jeep, all their favourite books and a selection of cuddly jungle animals that the team had left for them to enjoy.

As always, there was a multitude of pre-loved books, generously donated by the public and on this occasion collected by Langford Russell in Sevenoaks on behalf of the school. Representatives from the local community, including Paul Reid, the branch manager of the High Street estate agents, the school’s Parent Teacher Association, school governors, and Neil Louth, the CEO of The Acorn Group (ABC’s largest financial supporters), attended the launch, and had the opportunity to see firsthand what the charity had created.

Additionally, funds raised by ABC were used to purchase a collection of brand new, diverse, and inclusive books, supplied by our new partners, We Love Reading for Kids.

"We are sure that that Riverhead Infants’ School will enjoy its Reading Retreat for years to come, and ABC is proud to have helped inspire reading for pleasure at this lovely infant school."

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