00:02There's quite a big emphasis on community at the moment and therefore I want to start
00:09establishing book clubs around the region. I think that there are so many different people,
00:15different ages that read and bringing them all together to discuss something that they've
00:20got in common will really work in the region.
00:22Studies show that around 27% of children in the North East are already struggling with
00:27literacy by the age of five.
00:30Across the UK, a state of the nation study also found that only around half of Brits
00:35consider themselves regular readers. Meanwhile, according to research from the reading agency,
00:4291% of readers surveyed said they enjoy reading more when they can discuss it with others.
00:49It's this sense of community and togetherness so deeply rooted in our region that one independent
00:54business is hoping to build on, encouraging audiences to improve their literacy skills
00:59while also shopping more sustainably. Between the lines, a small business created by
01:04entrepreneur and YouTuber, Eloma Gallagher, aims to blur the line between literacy and sustainable shopping.
01:10I'm just a big book lover. I always have been. I think that's why it's really important to
01:15be sustainable and obviously with being pre-loved books, I'm able to keep my costs low, which
01:22means that I can keep my products as low as possible for people. I think that I'm trying to
01:26cater to every kind of age demographic of person and hopefully, you know, they pick up a good book
01:33and it kind of gets them attached to reading. Brits in the northeast are also among the most likely to
01:38shop sustainably, with around three quarters of us saying we make environmentally conscious choices
01:43when shopping. A city currently undergoing significant regeneration, independent stores and restaurants
01:49are continuing to thrive. From venues like sheepfold stables to boutiques around Maggie's Corner,
01:55the area is developing a strong identity, even amid the ongoing cost of living pressures.
02:01Especially with the arts and the creative industry, I think it's really popular in Sunderland at the
02:06minute. I think it's really upcoming. There's a lot of new stores opening that are really focusing
02:12on that sustainability, on local independent businesses, offers. The reason I'm here in Sunderland
02:18doing what I'm doing is I went to the University of Sunderland to do my degree and they were so
02:24supportive. I did my BA and then my MA and then I decided that here was where I want to
02:29build an
02:29art community and build up on that. So it's just trying to build that art community but make it
02:35accessible to all and that's the important thing. Sunderland has even been described as an up-and-coming
02:41cultural force in the north by Lee Hall, head of the School of Media and Creative Industries at the
02:47University of Sunderland. This is a reflection of a city full of character, creativity and people
02:54striving to shape its future.
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