Burnley-based Financial Affairs has made a bid to Aviva's Community Fund to secure up to £25,000 to roll out the Premier League Reading Stars scheme in Burnley and Pendle primary schools, where achievement at Key Stage 2 is 10% below the national average.
Financial Affairs, a family run financial advisory firm based on Standish Street since 1972, approached Burnley FC in the Community to work together on the bid, which invites adviser firms to apply for funding for community projects.
If successful, Premier League Reading Stars will be delivered in 50 of the lowest attaining schools in the region by Burnley FC in the Community.
Matt Hargeaves from Burnley FC in the Community said: "Premier League Reading Stars is a reading intervention scheme using football as a theme to engage and inspire children to read. Funding of £25,000 could reach 1600 pupils in our area, improving reading ages by at least 6 months - in some cases, more than 12 months according to 2014 figures."
Laurence O'Connor, managing director of Financial Affairs, said: "As a family we're loyal Burnley FC fans and I've seen first-hand the fantastic work they do in our local community. I became a father for the first time six months ago so I wanted to use this amazing opportunity to secure funding for a project that could help thousands of children improve their literacy levels and aim higher."
David Burton, headteacher at Sir John Thursby Community College in Burnley, said: "Reading is the cornerstone of education. Children in Burnley are considerably below the national average when they start primary school so the earlier we can help them enjoy reading, the earlier they discover a love of learning that lasts a lifetime and helps them become great citizens contributing to the community. This is an exciting initiative which will benefit the whole community immensely."
The Aviva Community Fund works on a voting system. The projects with the most votes will become finalists - these projects will then go on to be assessed by a judging panel.
To view the project click here:
https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/voting/project/view/2855/
