The campaign was run by Oxford-based PR agency Fortitude Communications, which supported Bicester literacy charity Assisted Reading for Children (ARCh) in its search for good-quality softback books to use in primary schools.

Books were donated by business owners, schools, and authors during National Storytelling Week.

Emma Orton, recruitment manager at ARCh, said: “We had an incredible 1,000 books donated, this is going to make such a huge difference to the children that we work with.

“I want to say a huge thank you to Fortitude Communications for the work they have done producing a video for us.

“Having a video like this is going to make a huge difference to our work and raising awareness of the work that we do.”

The book drive was inspired by figures from the National Literacy Trust highlighting declining reading levels among primary school children.

The campaign attracted support from local authors including Adrian Townsend and Sandra Plumb.

In addition to the book drive, Fortitude is producing a professional video for ARCh to help raise its profile across the county.

Greig Box Turnbull, director at Fortitude Communications, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity and enthusiasm of people who share our passion for reading.

“Reading is a joy and inspires and broadens the mind.

“It is vital to the development and prospects of children and it’s a profound tragedy many schools now don’t think students can even read a full novel anymore.

“We are grateful to everyone who has supported the campaign, which we hope will make a small difference to the broader challenge of inspiring more schoolchildren in Oxfordshire to read.”

The donated books were delivered to ARCh with the help of Smiths of Bletchington, who provided a driver and van for the delivery.

ARCh sends trained volunteers to deliver one-to-one reading sessions with children in primary schools.

The charity supports children across Oxfordshire who struggle with literacy, providing volunteer readers in more than 100 schools.

It currently has over 300 volunteers, and since becoming an independent charity, ARCh has reached nearly 1,000 children.

Fortitude Communications was founded in 2017 by Greig Box Turnbull, former managing director of Oxford United and a former journalist at the Daily Mirror.

The agency, based on ARC Business Park in Oxford, offers services across PR, marketing, and video production.

Its client base spans multiple sectors and includes support with media relations, social media management, copywriting, photography, drone, and media training.

The Falcon Boat Club received the boat from Jeff Bethray, the bursar of OMBS Oxford, a private school offering a post-A-level alternative to a university course.

Based at Donnington Bridge, the Falcon Boat Club provides free rowing training to pupils from local state schools, aiming to broaden the local appeal of what is often considered an elite sport.

This six-seat sculling boat is more commonly seen on European rivers rather than the Thames.

OMBS expressed their pleasure in supporting the venture, which gives pupils a chance to engage in a non-contact sport they might not otherwise have access to.

Greyfriars School pupils and Falcon coaches were present at the handover.

The club hopes to introduce rowing, thought of as an elite sport, to a wider local audience.

Members of the Oxford Youth Musical Theatre (OYMT) transformed Oxford’s train station and Westgate Shopping Centre into the streets of 19th-century France with theatrical performances from Les Misérables School Edition.

The spontaneous displays were a lead-up to the group’s sold-out show at the Amey Theatre in Abingdon, which ran from April 16 to 18.

One performer said: “The two flash mobs were a way for us to share our work with the local community in a vibrant, spontaneous way, outside the rehearsal room and the theatre itself.”

Led by Debbie Rose for the past 17 years, OYMT is known for developing young talent and delivering high-quality musical theatre.

The group is part of Oxfordshire County Music Service and is open to performers aged 12 to 18.

Many alumni have gone on to perform in the West End and with national opera companies.

Each year, OYMT holds auditions in July and mounts one major production, alternating between venues such as the Oxford Playhouse.

The group also welcomes students interested in stage management.

Rehearsals take place on Monday evenings from 6.45pm to 9.15pm at the Centre for Music on Bayswater Road in Oxford, with an additional Saturday session each month.

For more details or to join the waiting list for the 2025-26 season, visit oxfordshire.gov.uk/youthmusictheatre.