Partners in Literacy (PiL) is a pilot programme led by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) www.literacytrust.org.uk and funded by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

Derbyshire is one of four local authorities to be funded for two years to take part in PiL. The aim of PiL is twofold:

1. to see if a partnership approach to supporting the reading culture of families can be encouraged through central co-ordination and, if this can be embedded as a shared sustainable strategy by the partnership.
2. to support the reading culture of families and, by doing so, close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and other children.

The funding for PiL runs out in March 2011 but in Derbyshire we hope to make a lasting change. The daisy diagram above shows how families who need family reading support - vulnerable families - are surrounded by agencies who could work together to encourage reading. These are: social workers, early years educators, health visitors, housing officers, family support workers, community safety teams and voluntary services.

For more information on the national perspective of Family Reading Matters/Partners in Literacy visit the National Literacy Trust website.