The whole story – £1 million cash boost for reading schemes.

Youngsters across Scotland have a great story to tell – a grant scheme designed to promote reading is being expanded to help even more young people develop the reading habit.

Youngsters across Scotland have a great story to tell – a grant scheme designed to promote reading is being expanded to help even more young people develop the reading habit.

Education Minister Peter Peacock announced today that the money available for this year's Read Together Home Reading Initiative small grants scheme is being increased from £350,000 to £1 million because of the high number of quality applications received.

Last year, around 450 schools, nurseries, libraries and youth groups received a grant but this year even more will benefit from the scheme which aims to encourage parents and carers to read with children from an early age.

Mr Peacock said: "We're committed to giving all children the best possible start in life and that means we must help them develop valuable skills – like reading – which will allow them to play a full part in our ambitious confident Scotland. By working with parents and carers to make reading fun, we can ensure that books become part of a child's life from the very beginning. The small grants scheme shows that it doesn't take huge sums of cash to make a difference by, for instance, setting up a small library to make books accessible. The scheme, now in its second year, has been massively oversubscribed and that's why I have decided to increase the amount available this year to ensure as many groups and communities can benefit, both now and in years to come."

The small grants scheme provides start-up costs for sustainable projects that encourage home reading. Staff costs, travel and subsistence are not funded. To be successful, applicants must demonstrate the sustainability of their scheme.

The Home Reading Initiative's Read Together website offers ideas about reading and recommended books, alongside encouragement from Reading Champions of all ages: www.readtogether.co.uk