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Dolly Parton is making a significant impact in the lives of 75 Belfast babies through a unique reading initiative. Partnering with Belfast City Council, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is providing a total of 60 free books to each of these babies over a span of five years. This program aims to foster a love for reading from an early age and promote early childhood literacy.
One of the parents benefiting from this initiative is Mark McBride, whose daughter Maria is one of the 75 children selected to receive books from the program. Attending a special event at Belfast City Hall to kick off the program, Mark expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity. Reading to their children is a regular activity in his family, and he believes it provides a great advantage for kids in their developmental journey.
The Imagination Library, which originated in Tennessee, where Dolly Parton grew up, is commemorating its 30th anniversary this year. The expansion of this program to Belfast was made possible through funding from elected members, following a motion from Councillor Séamas De Faoite three years ago. Belfast’s Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly voiced her support for the initiative, emphasizing the importance of reading and bonding with children as they grow.
Séamas De Faoite, an SDLP councillor and a fan of Dolly Parton, played a key role in advocating for the implementation of the program in Belfast. He expressed his delight in seeing this initiative come to fruition after proposing the motion in 2022. His vision is to extend this program to reach every child in Belfast, with the ultimate goal of spreading the joy of reading and learning across the city. Megan Fletcher, regional director at The Dollywood Foundation, highlighted the foundation’s efforts in Northern Ireland since 2015, working on community programs to promote literacy. There is hope that Dolly Parton herself may visit Belfast in the future, as the foundation aims to expand its reach and impact across Northern Ireland
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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