BBC RaW
RaW (Read and Write) is the biggest campaign ever run by the BBC to help adults read and write better. Did you know that there are 12 million adults in the UK who struggle with reading and writing? RaW is for all of them.
However, this year BBC RaW has put a particular focus on families and reading. They launched Max and Lara’s Amazing Travelling Space Circus with lots of ideas and activities to help parents read to their kids. Since then there have been more Max and Lara publications, a Max and Lara storytelling festival that travelled around the UK and a short story competition – details on the BBC RaW website.
Nearly 4000 libraries in the UK are involved with the amazing adventure that is RaW under the strategic partnership agreed between libraries and BBC Learning. We are responsible for coordinating the libraries’ involvement with RaW.
It’s a sizeable task but evaluation in early 2007 shows that libraries are getting a great deal out of this partnership. Literally thousands of RaW events have been run up and down the county with the most popular being those for children and parents – attended by 17,500 people. And over 30 per cent of libraries that took part in the survey said that visitor numbers increased because of RaW.
There’s more information about how we are supporting RaW on The Vital Link website and a chance for libraries to publish their RaW activities on the BBC RaW website. For website address and other downloads see Resources.