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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 10 October 2008

Mayor of Islington Stefan Kasprzyk, Cllr Ruth Polling and Mark Richardson (back row, from left) joined children at Finsbury Library for the awards ceremony

Olympic hero adds star quality to children’s reading awards

BRITISH Olympic star Mark Richardson chalked up another medal ceremony success as he presented awards to Islington’s champion young readers.
The 400m relay silver medalist handed out awards to young people who successfully completed Islington’s Summer Reading Challenge, run by the council’s libraries.
More than 80 young people and their families attended the event at Finsbury Library, which launched Islington’s Cultural Olympiad celebrations and also featured the official Olympic torch.
Guests also had the chance to ask Mark about his athletics career and loudly cheered him on as a video of his Olympic race was shown – even though it was a recording!
Councillor Ruth Polling, Islington Council’s executive member for leisure and equalities, said: “It was brilliant to see so many young people who’ve got so much out of Islington’s libraries.
“Mark was an inspiration as well and really got the Cultural Olympiad off to a flying start in Islington.
“This is just the first event of the Cultural Olympiad, which runs from right through to the London Games in 2012.
“Like this event, the programme will link sport, culture and the arts and I hope that many more Islington residents get involved over the next four years.”
Also appearing at the event was poet and entertainer Baden Prince, who was a huge hit with the audience.
The Summer Reading Challenge invited young people to read six books from Islington’s libraries over the summer holidays.
In honour of the Beijing and London Olympics and Paralympics this year’s challenge had a sports flavour – Team Read – with sporting titles made specially available to young bookworms.

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