East Devon deprived area is set to see a boost in child literacy thanks to Libraries Unlimited's pioneering project.

The charity, which oversees 54 libraries throughout Devon and Torbay, is initiating a first-of-its-kind programme aiming to close the literacy gap by empowering parents, guiding children, and supporting educators and practitioners.

Littleham, being among the 20 per cent most deprived areas in England with lower than average reading outcomes for children, is the target of the new project.

The Exmouth Library staff and the School Literacy Network, teamed with support from Action for Children and HeadsUp, will be working directly with children residing in the Littleham area.

This project will focus on Littleham's Church of England Primary School, which is going to benefit from specially designed sessions, with funding provided by the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival.

To encourage children aged five to 12 to participate in their unique reading challenge, The Secret Book Quest, Libraries Unlimited has organised these sessions in coordination with the school's staff.

Sophie Crofts, Libraries Unlimited’s reading development manager, said: "We are all so excited to work on this project which brings together so many different aspects of our charity, from educational support to community services, reading for pleasure to access to books.

"Littleham has a fantastic strong community and we’re so excited to bring the library to the community in what we believe is the first project of its type."

The initiative extends beyond the school grounds.

The wider Littleham community will also receive support, including staff workshops to enhance reading for pleasure, and monthly Bounce & Rhyme sessions for toddlers and babies at the leisure centre.

Monthly after-school sessions will also offer crafts, coding and reading for children of all ages supported by partners such as HeadsUp.

These worrying reading statistics aren't limited to Littleham but represent a part of a broader, more concerning picture.

In the UK alone, over 185,000 children started school last year without basic language, communication and literacy skills.

Littleham's Headteacher, Tom Paddon, said that he was "absolutely delighted" to work with Libraries Unlimited.

He said: "We are very keen to raise the numbers in Littleham accessing the local libraries and I am sure this project will have a real impact with this."

Libraries Unlimited believes that its games, crafts and book-based sessions will inspire a love of reading and encourage library visits.

Ms Crofts said: "Reading for pleasure is so fundamental to a child’s chance of success in life.

"A library is more than books; it’s a community centre, a social gathering, a chance to meet people, to talk, relax and just be, a place to study, to learn new skills and make new friends.

"We are delighted to be able to bring all this to children in Littleham."

The project aims to increase library use in the area, enhance participation in library reading challenges, train library staff in delivering early years sessions, and improve teacher confidence and skills in engaging children with reading for pleasure.

The project is due to start at the beginning of term in September, funded for three years by the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival.