The Times has given out 2,000 books to schools across North Somerset through its Books For Schools campaign.

North Somerset Times: Yeo Moor Primary School headteacher Roland Lovatt and pupils being given 100 books, by Vicky Angear, as part of the Times Books For Schools campaign.Yeo Moor Primary School headteacher Roland Lovatt and pupils being given 100 books, by Vicky Angear, as part of the Times Books For Schools campaign. (Image: Archant)

The campaign was launched by chief reporter Vicky Angear to help schools struggling to pay for new books due to funding cuts.

Donations flooded in from members of the public and local authors and a number of community groups also sent in gift vouchers and cash towards the appeal.

Tha campaign has come to an end, but the Times would like to than everyone who supported the appeal.

Vicky said: "We would like to thank everyone who has donated books, gift vouchers and money to our Books For Schools campaign.

North Somerset Times: Waterstones book store. Reporter Vicky Angear with manager Chris Ashford picking up Books For Schools.Waterstones book store. Reporter Vicky Angear with manager Chris Ashford picking up Books For Schools. (Image: Archant)

"A big thank you also goes to Usborne for teaming up with us to run sponsored reads and to Clevedon Community Bookshop and Portishead Town Council for helping to store donations from members of the public.

"We started the campaign to help schools to provide new books for their pupils because reading is such an important life skill.

"We're thrilled to have been able to give out so many books and we hope it'll encourage more pupils to take up reading for pleasure."

Reading is one of the most important skills a child can learn and evidence shows children who can read well do better at school and have access to more career opportunities.

North Somerset Times: The campaign was set up to give out more books to primary school pupils.The campaign was set up to give out more books to primary school pupils. (Image: Archant)

It is also known to boost health and wellbeing, enhance children's imaginations and help them to develop empathy.

Through the Books For Schools campaign, we gave out 100 books to a school each month, which were added to libraries and classrooms.

Schools keen to win a selection of books were asked to write in to the Times to tell us about the initiatives they run in school.

West Leigh Infant School, in Backwell, was one of the schools to benefit.

North Somerset Times: The campaign was set up to give out more books to primary school pupils.The campaign was set up to give out more books to primary school pupils. (Image: Archant)

Nick Webster, executive headteacher for the Federation of West Leigh Infants and Backwell Juniors, said: "Reading is at the core of all that we do and holds the key to a wide world of adventure and excitement that the children can transfer into their own learning.

"The availability of high quality texts for our pupils to read is hugely important, so we thank the Times for its kind donation of reading books, which have enabled the children to access some vital reading."