Date: 1 November 2011
Best selling author and former SAS member Andy McNab thrilled Usdaw members at McVitie's Manchester yesterday (31 October 2011).
He visited them to sign copies of his new book Dead
Centre, and celebrate their Learn 4 U Centre's success in winning
the prize draw for workplaces participating in the Six Book
Challenge.
Launched in 2008 by independent charity The Reading Agency, the
annual Six Book Challenge encourages less confident readers to
develop a new reading habit and improve their skills at the same
time. Participants are invited to pick six reads of their choice
and complete a reading diary in order to receive incentives along
the way and a certificate.
The Six Book Challenge at
McVitie's Manchester was organised through the biscuit factory's
successful workplace learning centre and is the result of
partnership working between Usdaw, McVitie's and Stockport
Council's library service. 50 McVitie's workers took part in the
Challenge this year, the third year their Learn 4 U centre has run
it.
Andy McNab did a question
and answer session and signed copies of his new book Dead Centre,
which then went on sale in the learning centre.
Following his visit,
Andy said:
"Reading and literacy
changed my life. So it is wonderful to see partnerships such as the
one at McVitie's working so successfully to promote and encourage
reading through programmes like the Six Book Challenge."
Jonathan
Waterhouse, Usdaw's award winning Learning Rep
Co-ordinator at McVitie's Manchester said:
"It's been a coup to have
both a real life hero and successful author visit the Learn 4 U
centre at McVitie's. The event with Andy McNab resulted in a real
buzz within the factory."
"The Six Book Challenge is
another great example of how Usdaw Union Learning Reps (ULRs) at
McVitie's have engaged with our Union members, allowing us to
reinvigorate or start a reading culture with the support of both
The Reading Agency and Stockport Libraries. It was also great to
have Paddy Lillis, Deputy General Secretary of Usdaw, in attendance
to see what's been achieved."
Helen Day,
Factory General Manager at McVitie's Manchester said:
"The Six Book Challenge has
gone from strength to strength here at McVitie's Manchester and
it's great to see so many employees not only enjoying this
challenge but generally expanding their learning through the
support of the Learn 4 U Centre and everyone here who is committed
to making this a success."
Genevieve
Clarke, The Reading Agency's adult literacy specialist
said:
"McVitie's have been
fantastic supporters of the Six Book Challenge together with
Stockport Council's library service. We're thrilled that they won
this annual draw that we run with the Campaign for Learning, and
we're very grateful to Transworld Publishers for bringing Andy
McNab to meet McVitie's staff who have taken part in the Challenge.
It's been a real boost for everyone."
Notes for
Editors:
- 'Andy McNab' is the pseudonym of a former Special Air
Service (SAS) operative and soldier. He first came to public
prominence with Bravo Two Zero, his account of the failed SAS
patrol for which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in
1991, to add to medals he had won previously in action, becoming
the British Army's most highly decorated serving soldier when he
finally left the SAS in February 1993. He has written two other
autobiographies and several fiction books including QuickReads.
Dead Centre is his latest thriller in the bestselling Nick Stone
series.
- 18,000 young people and adults across the UK registered
for the Six Book Challenge this year through libraries, colleges,
adult education, prisons and workplaces with potentially
life-changing results. Impact research into the Six Book Challenge
has found that 94% of respondents felt a sense of achievement, 88%
said they gained from the experience and 60% reported an
improvement in their skills.
- For further information on Usdaw's Lifelong Learning
campaign visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/ourcampaigns/lifelonglearning.aspx
- Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is
the UK's fourth biggest and fastest growing Trade Union with over
405,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 17% in the
last five years and by nearly a third in the last decade. Most
Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the Union also has
many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing,
chemicals and other trades.