Nominate your Bookbug Hero for national award

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives with reading and writing, has opened nominations for the Bookbug Hero Award 2024, run in association with Walker Books.

Now in its fifth year, the award seeks to honour those who make a real difference to the lives of the young children, families and communities they work with.

People across Scotland can nominate a librarian, early years worker, volunteer, health visitor, or anyone who uses Bookbug in their work for the award. The winner will be celebrated with a short film made about their work, a special trophy and a bundle of picture books worth £500.

Nominations can be made on Scottish Book Trust’s website until Friday 10 December.

Bookbug, delivered by Scottish Book Trust, is the biggest nationwide universal book gifting programme in the world, through which every child in Scotland receives four free book bags between their birth and first year of school.

Around 375 Bookbug Sessions take place each week in libraries and community spaces across Scotland, and Bookbug for the Home practitioners support families on a one-to-one basis.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Bookbug reaches children all over Scotland, providing vital access to books. Without the work of Bookbug practitioners, many families would not discover the fun and lifechanging benefits of sharing stories, songs and rhymes.

“It is fantastic to be able to recognise this important work through the Bookbug Hero Award, for the fifth time. Our thanks to Walker Books for their continued support in recognising these heroes.”

The team at Walker Books added: ‘We really appreciate all that Bookbug and the heroes who run the programmes do for communities, and we are really pleased that we can continue to show our appreciation and support of that work by sponsoring the award.

“We love that it shines a light on those practitioners who champion reading, and work tirelessly to change lives through stories and can’t wait to hear more about the next winner!’

Search is on for Bookbug Hero

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, has announced that nominations for the Bookbug Hero Award 2022 are now open.

Run in association with Walker Books, the award aims to honour someone working with Bookbug who has used the programme to make a real difference to the lives of the young children, families and communities they work with.

Scottish Book Trust is asking people across the country to nominate a librarian, early years worker, volunteer, health visitor, or anyone who uses Bookbug in their work. The winner will receive a special trophy and a bundle of picture books worth £500 from Walker Books.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Scottish Book Trust is pleased to welcome nominations for the Bookbug Hero Award: a prize that celebrates the fantastic work of our Bookbug practitioners across Scotland.

“Without the hard work of those in libraries, early years settings and through the health service, many young children would not know the joy of sharing stories, songs and rhymes. Our thanks to Walker Books for supporting the prize and allowing us to recognise these heroes in the local community.”

Kylie Watt, Nursery Practitioner at Longridge Nursery and winner of the Bookbug Hero Award 2021, (above) said: “I was extremely honoured to have won the Bookbug Hero Award for 2021. It affirmed my passion and vision as an educator to actively encourage the joys, benefits, and motivations of reading from a young age.

“Nominating your colleagues allows them to share their best practice, passing on new ideas and skills and importantly acknowledging their efforts and successes.”

Jane Winterbotham, Publishing Director at Walker Books said: “The Bookbug Hero Award highlights all the fantastic staff who run Bookbug programmes across their communities, and we are delighted that we can continue to show our appreciation and support of that work by sponsoring the award.

“The award shows appreciation for practitioners who champion reading and work tirelessly to change lives through stories. We look forward to hearing more about the next Bookbug Hero.”

Nominations for the Bookbug Hero Award can be made online via Scottish Book Trust’s website. The closing date for nominations is Friday 26 November 2021.