Grand Designs presenter to support book charity

TV presenter Kevin McCloud is to visit West Sussex to support a local charity that helps children gain greater access to books.

The Grand Designs presenter will host an evening at Chichester Cathedral on 14 May, to raise funds for Children's BookFest, which is based in the city.

He told BBC Radio Sussex how important he believes reading is to a child's development.

The charity works across Chichester, Bognor Regis and Midhurst, and is hoping to expand into secondary schools.

"I just love the tactile quality of a book," McCloud said. "Wherever I've got a tactile surface in my house, it's covered in books.

"It's to do with how the imagination works and how it can sustain and grow through reading."

McCloud said having access to the printed word is important for development.

"The way in which the brain engages with reading is really interesting," he said.

"The eyes are looking at a page in black and white. It's very low energy to read and the brain can engage its imagination far better, particularly when reading a story, than when watching telly.

"Authors are able to write quite complex ideas and create complex worlds, and that's something that kids never forget."

Georgina Lippiett, festival director of Children's BookFest, said: "This event will help us raise vital funds to place more books into the hands of children across our communities.

"At a time when reading for pleasure is in decline, this work has never been more important."

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