Princess Yachts is continuing its partnership with a local children’s charity to tackle book poverty and boost early literacy across the city.
Working with Promoting Children in Plymouth (PCiP) to support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a programme that delivers free books to young children every month from birth until the age of five.
The Plymouth scheme has just marked its first anniversary, having already reached more than 1,300 children across the city. Each child enrolled receives a high-quality, age-appropriate book through the post, helping families build home libraries and encourage a love of reading from an early age.
As one of Plymouth’s largest employers, Princess Yachts says supporting the initiative reflects its wider commitment to the city and its communities.
From book drives to storytelling
Over the past year, Princess Yachts staff have taken part in a range of initiatives linked to the programme. These have included a corporate pre-loved book drive, which saw more than 200 books donated by employees.
The books were distributed to a local school near the company’s headquarters, with each child able to choose a book to take home. The books were personalised with a Princess Yachts sticker, allowing children to write their names inside.
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Employees have also volunteered as storytellers at PCiP’s Community World Book Day event, helping to reach more than 8,000 children in a single afternoon.
The partnership later featured in a BBC report highlighting book poverty, drawing national attention to the role local businesses can play in supporting literacy. The coverage was praised by the Dolly Parton Foundation, which described the Plymouth initiative as an example of effective collaboration between business and community.
‘One of the strongest indicators of future success’
Adrian Bratt, chief people officer and general counsel at Princess Yachts, said access to reading plays a critical role in children’s development.
“Being able to read confidently is one of the most important indicators of a child’s future success.
“As a local business, we feel a strong responsibility not just to our employees, but to the wider community.
Through initiatives like this, and many others supporting young people, such as sports and local opportunities, we want to help ensure that every child and every person in our city has the chance to thrive.
He added that the company’s roots in Plymouth were central to its approach.
“We’ve grown alongside this city over the past six decades, sharing in its heritage and its future. By collaborating and investing in the community, we can help keep the city moving forward and support and nurture the ambitions of everyone who calls this city home.”
Tackling book poverty in the city
Access to books at home remains a major barrier to literacy. Research suggests children from disadvantaged backgrounds can be up to 20 per cent behind their peers in reading by the time they start school – often due to a lack of books rather than a lack of ability.
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library aims to address this gap directly, giving children regular access to stories that help build confidence, curiosity and imagination during their earliest years.
