The developer behind the transformation of the former Boots Island site has donated hundreds of books to children in Nottingham.
The Conygar Investment Company has presented a cheque for £500 to Nottingham City Council’s Big Reading Challenge, a charity event raising money to provide a range of books to children in the city.
The funds raised for the scheme will go towards Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library which was set up in Nottingham in 2011 and is now running successfully in 10 of the city’s 20 wards. The scheme delivers a free book every month to children between the ages of six-months-old and five-years-old.
As part of the project Cllr David Mellen and other city councillors read to children across Nottingham from 27 January to 2 February.
Christopher Ware of Conygar said the scheme was an important project that the company wanted to be a part of.
He said: “This is the first time we have supported the Big Reading Challenge, which is a wonderful initiative from Nottingham City Council and one that really illustrates the strength of community in the city.
“It is so important for children to learn to enjoy reading and this scheme, which gives a new book to a child every month, is fantastic. We hope our donation will be able to buy many more books for the children of the city so that they can continue to read at school and at home.”
Conygar purchased the 40-acre Boots Island site in 2016 and outline planning permission for the major development scheme was approved in April 2019.
The plans will transform the site, which has laid derelict for many years, into new homes, grade A office space, creative market space, a five-star hotel, retail units, a ‘linear’ park and community space and student accommodation.
The landmark development will create hundreds of jobs, strengthen the local economy and help to elevate Nottingham as one of the UK’s key regional cities for investors and employers.
Developers behind the site handed over the donation to Cllr Mellen at the Big Reading Challenge’s business breakfast at the Nottingham Council House.
Councillor David Mellen, the leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “I’m grateful to Conygar for supporting the Big Reading Challenge. Every donation makes a huge difference to this important charity and means more free books will go to children in Nottingham.
“The Imagination Library is proven to improve literacy among children and we know they love getting the books delivered to them each month. We can only do this with donations to the Imagination Library. This contribution really does matter.”
Running from Monday 27 January to Sunday 2 February 2020, the Big Reading Challenge aims to raise £5,000 for children in the city.