Eddie and Ellie celebrate World Book Day 2022

Eddie & Ellie’s Wild Adventures storybook and educational programme was born out of a genuine passion to equip local children with the knowledge and enjoyment of the nature and ecology around them – today we are celebrating the positive impact it has had.

World Book Day 2022

Today is World Book Day, a day to highlight the thrill of picking up a good book – and showcasing the importance of reading from a young age.

We feel strongly about encouraging young people to dive into literature and expand their knowledge, all while getting swept up in a gripping story; that’s exactly why we crafted Eddie & Ellie’s Wild Adventures storybook.

The storybook built the foundation to what is now, an enriching, industry-leading educational programme that is being enjoyed by primary school children across South East England. It is a fundamental part of how we deliver Social Value, driving one of our four Social Value goals – Building Future Generations.

The programme is intended to give the children in our communities the opportunity to learn about their environment and the ecology within it – it is important to us to leave a positive, lasting impact.

Eddie & Ellie – a year in reflection

Today we are using World Book Day as an opportunity to celebrate the positive impact that ‘Eddie & Ellie’s Wild Adventures’ has had, by looking back on some fond memories over the past year…

• This time last year, The Thakeham family celebrated the launch of Eddie & Ellie by doing a special reading of the story book – Watch it below!
• In May 2021, we held our first workshop at Warninglid Primary School – focusing on literacy using the book, and introducing the water cycle. Warninglid Primary school have since transferred to Woodgate Primary School, a £4m school gifted by Thakeham, situated at the heart of our flagship development in Woodgate, Pease Pottage. Read more here
• In June 2021 saw our favourite ecologists take a trip to our Family Area at Goodwood Festival of Speed – children from across the event gathered under a stretch tent to hear a reading of the book
• In July 2021, P from the Ocean Sheroes spent quality story time with her children on the weeks leading up to one of the toughest races on Earth to row the Pacific Ocean, raising awareness for plastics in our seas. We were the Ocean Sheroes Sustainability & Education partner, seeing P enjoy the book with her children was one of our highlights of our time with them!
• In September 2021, Eddie & Ellie took their first field trip to Lenham Primary School to teach the students about the three R’s – ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’! You can read more about it here

This year has also seen valuable Eddie & Ellie workshops, we can’t wait for the next one later this month at the Surrey Wildlife Trust.

The Thakeham Family reads Eddie & Ellie’s Wild Adventures storybook

Interested in embracing World Book Day and reading the storybook yourself? Click here for a free digital copy.