EVER wondered what professional football clubs could do to help young people get into reading?

12 Football League clubs including Plymouth Argyle have been challenging local school classes to read 100 books in a term as part of an initiative called Playing with Words.

Playing with Words is a partnership between the Football League, the Football Foundation, the National Literacy Trust (NLT), the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), Puffin books and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

The scheme is in its second full season and is aimed at encouraging young people between the ages of seven and 13 to read more, both in and out of the classroom. Each club partners up with three local schools who run a reading club every term with a new class.

To qualify for an exciting reward from their local club, each class works as a team to read 100 books in the space of a term. Each book read earns a club crest sticker to go on a club branded wall chart, motivating the whole class to read more.

The initiative is being delivered by The Piilgrim Centre and Footabll in the Community Departments. Rewards at Argyle will include ground tours for the whole class, coaching sessions and certificate presentations. Every school will have a spaecial visit from Pilgrim Pete.

Each participating school is supplied with boxes of free books, posters, stickers, certificates and individual Reading Journals for the children. Argyle is supporting Marlborough Primary School, Pennycross Primary School, South Trelawney Primary School and St. Breock Primary. A total of 360 pupils will have the opportunity to take part throughout 2008 - What a superb way to celebrate the National Year of Reading.

Sir Dave Richards, Chairman of the Football Foundation said:

"This project is a great way of linking up school children with their local Football League club and utilizing the power of football to get them into reading. The Football Foundation is committed to working closely with local communities and it's fantastic to see a project that links schools and football clubs so effectively."

Mrs Swindall, the Literacy Co-ordinator at St. Breock Primary, says "It's fabulous to see our "hard-working readers" embrace another reading challenge. I'm confident they will complete it and enjoy meeting some of their local football heroes. Many thanks go to our very enthusiastic Sports Coach, Mr James Ross".

Playing With Words is in it's second full year and will run between January and December 2008.

The Football League Clubs involved for 2007 include: Barnsley, Brentford, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Burnley, Colchester United, Crystal Palace, Doncaster Rovers, Hartlepool United, Hull City, Leicester City, Leyton Orient, Millwall, MK Dons, Northampton Town, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Oldham Athletic, Plymouth Argyle, Preston North End, Rotherham United, Scunthorpe United, and Stoke City and West Bromich Albion.

For More Information Please Contact Alison Lowman on 01752 563167 or e-mail thepilgrimcentre@pafc.co.uk