Duffy Books in Homes
Encyclopedia
Duffy Books in Homes is the trading name of The Alan Duff Charitable Foundation. It is a New Zealand
registered, literacy-focused charitable organization
which has links to similar organisations in the USA and Australia
.
visited Camberley School in Hastings, New Zealand
. According to Principal Peter Johnstone "Alan was appalled to see so many children come from bookless homes."
Following a meeting with philanthropist Christine Fernyhough in 1995 the Alan Duff Charitable Foundation was legally formed. The official launch of the programme (then known as Books in Homes) took place at Tairangi School in Wellington
on 24 August and was attended by then Prime Minister
Jim Bolger
.
The programme began with 80 schools, 16,000 students and 14 sponsors. In 2011 the programme reported almost 550 schools, over 100,000 students and 206 sponsors.
On 24 August 2010 the programme celebrated its 15th anniversary at Viscount School in Auckland. Notable personalities who were once students in Duffy Books in Homes schools include BMX rider Sarah Walker
and Miss World New Zealand
2010 Cody Yerkovich.
in which students at low decile
primary and intermediate schools in New Zealand order books from a brochure which are then presented at Role Model
assemblies at the end of three school terms. Each child participating receives a minimum of five new books each year.
Additional components of the programme include annual awards for parents and grandparents, effort in reading and writing and excellence in attitude. There are also weekly book awards for good behaviour.
Two troupes of performers visit the majority of schools in the programme annually to perform a literacy-focused stage show. In 2011 the Duffy Theatre performs a show entitled 'Duffy's Book Bus Adventure'.
The programme is also offered in a limited format to early childhood education
centres under the name 'Ready for Reading'.
Major sponsors include Mainfreight
, Scholastic, Ernst & Young
, Carter Holt Harvey
, Rotary
, Te Puni Kōkiri
, Norm Hewitt
and New Zealand Post
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
registered, literacy-focused charitable organization
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
which has links to similar organisations in the USA and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
The programme was conceived in 1992 when the author Alan DuffAlan Duff
Alan Duff is a New Zealand novelist and newspaper columnist, most well known as the author of Once Were Warriors.- Biography :...
visited Camberley School in Hastings, New Zealand
Hastings, New Zealand
The city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District...
. According to Principal Peter Johnstone "Alan was appalled to see so many children come from bookless homes."
Following a meeting with philanthropist Christine Fernyhough in 1995 the Alan Duff Charitable Foundation was legally formed. The official launch of the programme (then known as Books in Homes) took place at Tairangi School in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
on 24 August and was attended by then Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
Jim Bolger
Jim Bolger
James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ was the 35th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was elected on the promise of delivering a "Decent Society" following the previous Labour government's economic reforms, known as Rogernomics...
.
The programme began with 80 schools, 16,000 students and 14 sponsors. In 2011 the programme reported almost 550 schools, over 100,000 students and 206 sponsors.
On 24 August 2010 the programme celebrated its 15th anniversary at Viscount School in Auckland. Notable personalities who were once students in Duffy Books in Homes schools include BMX rider Sarah Walker
Sarah Walker (BMX rider)
Sarah Walker is a BMX racer who was born in Whakatane, New Zealand, currently residing in Kawerau, New Zealand. She started BMXing in 1999 when she saw her brother, Matt, riding one day . And she has made her career from there ever since....
and Miss World New Zealand
New Zealand at Miss World
New Zealand has contested 46 Miss World pageants since that pageant's inception in 1951. No New Zealander has won the Miss World title, although two have placed first runner-up....
2010 Cody Yerkovich.
Operations
The programme has a stated aim of inspiring "a love of books in Duffy children so they become adults who inspire a love of reading." Its core function is as a form of book clubBook sales club
A book sales club is a subscription-based method of selling and purchasing books. It is more often called simply a book club, a term that is also used to describe a book discussion club, which can cause confusion.-How book sales clubs work:...
in which students at low decile
Socio-Economic Decile
Decile, Socio-Economic Decile or Socio-Economic Decile Band is a widely used measure in education in New Zealand used to target funding and support to more needy schools....
primary and intermediate schools in New Zealand order books from a brochure which are then presented at Role Model
Role model
The term role model generally means any "person who serves as an example, whose behaviour is emulated by others".The term first appeared in Robert K. Merton's socialization research of medical students...
assemblies at the end of three school terms. Each child participating receives a minimum of five new books each year.
Additional components of the programme include annual awards for parents and grandparents, effort in reading and writing and excellence in attitude. There are also weekly book awards for good behaviour.
Two troupes of performers visit the majority of schools in the programme annually to perform a literacy-focused stage show. In 2011 the Duffy Theatre performs a show entitled 'Duffy's Book Bus Adventure'.
The programme is also offered in a limited format to early childhood education
Early childhood education
Early childhood education is the formal teaching and care of young children by people other than their family or in settings outside of the home. 'Early childhood' is usually defined as before the age of normal schooling - five years in most nations, though the U.S...
centres under the name 'Ready for Reading'.
Funding
Duff stipulated that schools bear some of the cost of funding the programme themselves. Schools fund approximately one third of the cost of the programme with the remaining costs being met by the New Zealand Government and private sponsorship.Major sponsors include Mainfreight
Mainfreight
Mainfreight Limited is a New Zealand based trucking and logistics firm operating in Australia, China, the United States of America and New Zealand. Bruce Plested founded the firm in 1978, with $2700 and a 1969 Bedford truck. He was later joined by Neil Graham. When the firm was founded, it entered...
, Scholastic, Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
, Carter Holt Harvey
Carter Holt Harvey
Carter Holt Harvey Limited is an Australasian forest products company, with significant interests in wood products, pulp, paper and packaging. The company employs approximately 10,500 people across Australasia. Carter Holt Harvey's head New Zealand office is located at 173 Captain Springs Road in...
, Rotary
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
, Te Puni Kōkiri
Te Puni Kokiri
Te Puni Kōkiri is a New Zealand Public Sector Department responsible for Māori public policy and policy affecting Māori.The department, called TPK for short, reports to the Minister of Māori Affairs...
, Norm Hewitt
Norm Hewitt
Norman "Norm" Hewitt is a former New Zealand All Black Rugby Union Player. He was selected for the New Zealand team because of his fantastic performance in Hawkes Bay's surprise victory over the British Lions in 1993...
and New Zealand Post
New Zealand Post
New Zealand Post, commonly referred by its acronym, NZPost is a State owned enterprise responsible for providing postal service in New Zealand.-History:...
.