Cornish Pirates

Nick Makin leaves the Pirates this season to pursue a career in the City.

Learning Zone Salutes Reading Champion Who Gave So Much….

Nick Makin with some of the kids who benefitted from his contribution

His involvement in the Reading Champions iniative has been immeasurable at the Pirates Learning Zone, part of the Playing for Success iniative. Over the course of two years Nick gave 50 hours to the iniative, meeting and discussing reading over 300 children. How can we measure the lasting impact on children that never read and now do? Parents were keen to meet the Nick during presentation evenings.

One of the best quotes we had was that "my son never read and now he does, how did you do that?" What impact will that have on the children he convinced that reading is, indeed, a valuable pastime.

Nick would visit the Study Support sessions every term and children would interview him about his life as a professional rugby player and reader. Nick would involve the children by having on hand his kit bag and children would pullout items and children would try on his kit.

This was fabulous as an ice breaker and gave the children confidence in asking Nick intimate questions that related to his inspiration and enthusiasm for reading.

Children were then given books to choose from and of course, they were quick to have their books authenticated by a signature from the reading champion. Books reviews from the children were brilliant and the children went back to school with renewed enthusiasm about what could be achieved from reading.

A big good luck and thanks from all the staff at the Cornish Pirates and a big shout from children of Cornwall whose lives have been affected by a positive male role model who gave his time voluntarily to support the Reading iniative supported by the Literacy Trust.

Pirates' Learning Zone Centre Manager Kevin Jackson said, "Nick's input into the Playing for Success programme has always had a fantastic affect on the children he meets, he has a great rapport with the children and is a real inspiration. Since becoming the Reading Champion we have had parents commenting that their children have now started to read and boys who have attended the session now think reading is cool. What more could be asked for?"

Boys really respond well to meeting Nick and it really makes a difference to have male readers who are willing to stand up and say 'I read and I can see value to reading.' This is exactly what the England football stars are saying and this is Nick's message. For full details of Nicks interview and more details on the Reading Champions imitative visit www.literacytrust.org.uk