Councillors keen to grow Dolly Parton book scheme

The singer's scheme rolled out in the UK after launching in the US

A reading scheme supported by Dolly Parton could be expanded to help support more children across Wakefield.

The Imagination Library, which gives a book a month to children under five, has helped more than 2,500 children since it launched in 2017.

Initially rolled out across the city it was later scaled back to just five areas, but now councillors have backed plans to expand it again.

Margaret Isherwood, Wakefield Council's cabinet member for children and young people, said: "I love the Dolly Parton Library. It does a wonderful job and I fully support this. If we can expand it, it is going to be absolutely wonderful."

Margaret Isherwood with young graduates from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library scheme

The scheme is currently only available in Knottingley, Pontefract, Castleford Central, Ferry Fryston and Airedale.

However, councillors recently voted to back plans to expand to Featherstone, Hemsworth, Normanton, South Elmsall and South Kirkby, Wakefield East, Wakefield North, Wakefield West.

It comes after 337 children who have been part of the scheme "graduated" at events held in Airedale and Pontefract libraries.

Jakob Williamson, independent councillor for Hemsworth, said the cost of expanding the scheme would be £425,000 over the next five years, describing it as a "minuscule" investment.

"Expanding this scheme is quite personal to me," he said in the meeting.

"I'm not afraid to say that I have grown up in poverty and experienced hardship.

"There wasn't much money growing up, but the one thing I had was a mum and a grandma who gave me books, whether that was from the library, second-hand books, or the occasional new one.

"Having that early access to books and being able to read enabled me to get good grades at GCSE, go on to study at university and end up with a law degree and a half-decent job."

He said data showed learning development rates had improved within other areas where councils had invested in the scheme.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Wakefield district falls behind regional and national averages when it comes to skills and educational attainment.

Official data shows only 28.8% of people aged 16 to 64 in Wakefield hold qualifications at Level 4 or above. This figure is substantially below the national average of 46.7% and the Yorkshire and Humber regional average of 41.2%.

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