Every year Compendium Living likes to support reading in local schools near our developments on World Book Day. This year, we donated £100 worth of National Book Tokens to Castleward Spencer Academy in Derby.
We are currently redeveloping the Castleward area in a £100m regeneration project. We donated the vouchers to the school to allow them to select new books and stories for the children. Castleward Spencer Academy has a book vending machine, from which pupils can select a book of their choice to keep and take home as a reward for reading at home. The donation comes as part of an ongoing relationship between Compendium Living and Castleward Spencer Academy. We previously donated book tokens to them for World Book Day in 2022. We also provided pupils with an educational workshop on how homes are built in 2024.
This year Wendy Lister, Project Manager at Compendium Living, personally attended the school, hand delivered the vouchers and met staff and students. The children she met were all representatives from the school’s council and trust parliament.
Lindsay Trail, Principal at Castleward Spencer Academy, said: ‘We are very grateful to Wendy and the team at Compendium Living for the £100 book token. The children were keen to share some of the books that they want to see in the book machine next’.
Wendy Lister said: “I was overjoyed to visit Castleward Spencer Academy again. It was great to see children so excited about books and reading. We are very proud to contribute to the collection of books and to take an active part in World Book Day.
“Castleward Spencer Academy is an outstanding school located within our Castleward development. We look forward to continuing our relationship with them throughout the project’s lifecycle.”
Located between Derbion shopping centre and Derby Midland Station, Castleward is one of the city’s largest housing projects. In total, around 700 new homes are being provided, alongside green open space and new commercial retail space.