  
LaunchPad: A Carnival of Reading
The Chair of LaunchPad’s View
This year’s summer reading game both in title and context
sums up totally what Launchpad is about. LaunchPad’s mission
is to highlight the importance of libraries work with children
and young people and build new partnerships between libraries
and other sectors. Its main areas of activity are:
- advocacy
- partnership projects
- national library promotions
LaunchPad was created in the National Year of Reading when members
of ASCEL and YLG got together with marketing professionals such
as Miranda McKearney and Ann Saragg, to do something about the
lack of consistency and focus on children’s reading. Different
authorities were doing their best but there was an obvious need
for greater leverage brought by the superb negotiating and influencing
skills, which Miranda and Ann bring to the table.
From day one it has been a success negotiating a £300k deal with
Asda, which won an Arts and Business Award, organising the brilliant
summer reading challenge and developing partnership funding.
This year LaunchPad became a registered charity and company limited
by guarantee. This means that it can accept grants from more bodies
and it puts the work on a proper footing.
Developments go from strength to strength. Nottingham have developed
a ground-breaking project with M & S in the prison, exciting
work has been going on with Tate Britain and the London Hospitals.
Next year will see the bringing together of three of the major
reader development agencies — LaunchPad, Reading Partnership
and Well Worth Reading. This will guarantee substantial revenue
funding from the Arts Council and will help remove confusion some
potential partners find when approached. It won’t diminish
children’s and youth work; rather ensure we are on a firm
footing on which to negotiate. Launchpad are already planning
for the future with a number of projects in the pipeline and we
all look forward to a strong role in The Reading Agency, which
will be launched in April 2002.
Catherine Blanshard Chair of LaunchPad
More articles from News From The LA
Building for the Future
Bob McKee, Chief Exectutive, Library Association
Youth and Schools Libraries
2001 Onwards! Jonathan Douglas
Early Years Report
What is LaunchPad? Anne
Sarrang
ChatterBooks Talking
about the books you want to read – Tricia Kings
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