A project to help promote and develop lifelong reading habits among children has resulted in the transformation of an Ashby primary school library.

The Reading Ambassadors at Ashby Hill Top Primary School began 'Drab to Fab!'

This was aimed at improving the library - but an unexpected source of backing, and then collaboration, meant much more could be achieved.

The school was able to knock down walls, redecorate and fit out the library space.

EYFS and English Lead at Hill Top, Dixie-Louise Dexter, told Ashby Nub News how the new-look library came to be.

She said: "We've worked really hard, over several years now, to become a reading school.

"We have Reading Ambassadors across the school who promote a love of reading.

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"Being a reader has such an impact on your academic outcomes. We had a very small library space which was at the end of another classroom.

"The Ambassadors then launched a project called Drab to Fab, where we were fundraising with our families to improve the library space, but the idea started to snowball.

"We have links to the local community and one parent who works for Barrett Homes, and another who has his own business.

"What we did was knock down walls and create a whole new space that was fitted by Barrett Homes, they did that as part of a community project.

"It's a combination of what the children have done, and support from the local community to fund the project. The school budget wouldn't allow for something on that scale."

It means the school received a bonus in terms of funding.

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Dixie-Louise added: "Barrett also made a donation so that we could buy new books for the new space.

"The Reading Ambassadors then created a 'wish list' of what they'd like the library to look like.

"One of the things was a book made out of trees, plus fairy lights, soft furnishings. We've done all of that, and we launched the library to the children last week."