Children book funding axe condemned by
Unite
22 December 2010
The government’s decision to axe all its annual £13m funding for
the Booktrust charity, which provides free books to children in
England, was condemned by Unite, the largest union in the country,
today (Wednesday, 22 December).
Unite, which embraces the Community Practitioners’ and Health
Visitors’ Association (CPHVA), said that it already had angry
feedback from its health visitor and community nurse members, who
see at first hand the benefits the scheme brings to children.
Unite Professional Officer, Dave Munday said: ‘We see, yet
again, the coalition targeting children as part of its so-called
‘We are all in this together’ austerity programme.’
‘We have seen school funding, the building of schools, and the
school sports programmes being hit hard and now they are even
‘stealing’ books from young children and babies.’
‘We know that there are a large number of 11-year olds who have
a reading age of less than seven, and that in a recent UNICEF
report gave one of the measures of an unequal society as a child
living in a home without a book.’
‘Booktrust is a national charity providing an excellent service,
contributing to what David Cameron insists on calling the Big
Society. The concept of this Big Society has a very hollow ring
when we have backward and detrimental decisions like this being
made.’
‘Scrooge is definitely stalking the deep mid-winter Whitehall
corridors of power making icy-hearted decisions. The budget for
ministerial cars probably costs more than the Booktrust
funding.’
The money was used for programmes which provide book packs to
babies and primary school children in England.
-ends-
Note to news editors:
For further information, please contact Dave Munday on 07918
630700 and/or Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble on 07768
693940
