Messages of Support
We have received lots of positive feedback from the participants, readers, guests, witnesses and volunteers at the BIG Read.
Have a read!
SCHOOLS - GUEST READERS - READERS - VOLUNTEERS - GENERAL FEEDBACK
Schools
What lovely news to hear that the record was broken. The children will be pleased. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and the children had such a great time. The goodie bags and free book was wonderful and very generous. The day was well planned and organised and all of the volunteer helpers/readers were wonderful. Thanks for inviting us and we look forward to future events and projects!
Claire Doherty, Literacy Co-ordinator
St Helen's Catholic Primary School
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Great news- well done to all! Unfortunately, I was ill on the day and was unable to attend, but everyone else had a fab time - all thanks to you! Everyone had only good things to say about the organisation etc on the day - no mean feat, so well done again. Look forward to working with you in the future.
Haaniyah - On behalf of all at Apex Primary School
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We had a wonderful time - thank you.
Cayley School
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Masha-Allah on the record break, and Mubarak & Congratulations to all the Management, staff and volunteers of IF and all those who participated in the event.
Muhammad Anas, Imam Zakareya Academy
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It was a real pleasure to take part in this world record attempt. Our students enjoyed the event immensely and it helped us in school by raising the status of how important it is to be able to read. The children clearly saw reading as positive activity and something they should all be able to do.
Thank you again.
Hasib Hikmat, Al Azhar Primary School
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The event was excellently organised and all the volunteers were extremely helpful and friendly. The children really enjoyed it!
Rebekah, Canon Barnett School
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Just wanted to say thank you. Our pupils really found the event enjoyable and are even more ecstatic that they managed to help break the world record. I have the say, the goodie bag with the workbook was a brilliant idea, it kept them entertained while we waited to go in - also helped with the tube journey home!
Mousufa, Oaks Park School
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Guest Readers
"I was delighted to participate in this record breaking read! It was wonderful to see so many children together enjoying a good book and I hope it will help them to develop a lifetime love of reading. I'm very proud that the new Guinness World Record for the ‘most children reading with an adult' was set here in Tower Hamlets." Councillor Ohid Ahmed, Lead Member for Resources at Tower Hamlets Council
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Congratulations to IF for doing it again. At this rate East London is going to hold the world record for the number of world records. The Big Read at the London Muslim Centre was an inspired event. Not only did it bring home the record, it has encouraged thousands of children to enjoy reading - a key to empowering them in later life. It was a joy to take part. George Galloway MP, Bethnal Green and Bow
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Many congratulations to a terrific organising team. The Big Read was great fun, and the children from so many different schools and backgrounds thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I think it will have left them with a great sense of achievement from having participated in, probably, their first major collective event. And also they will have taken away them a real sense of how much reading means, in the lives of the adults who read with them. Victoria Brittain
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Many congratulations on the world record. It is a testament to the hard work of your staff and volunteers. Amjad, The Cordoba Foundation
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Just a quick line to say thank you for including me in the event. I enjoyed it very much and I think more importantly the kids did! Well done. Great event. Best wishes Sufiya Ahmed
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Masha'Allah well done!! Thank you for allowing me to be part of this amazing event!! It was wonderful to introduce my favourite childhood classic to a new generation of readers but most importantly to be a small part of their journey which will hopefully lead to lifelong adventure of reading!! For half an hour I was able to travel back down memory lane to my childhood and enter that wonderful luscious chocolate coated world full of every sticky toffee sweet imaginable....yummy!!''
Please keep me on your mailing list in regards any future projects. Luton and the Creative Muslim Network Will be more than happy to support in the future with your amazing and very much needed groundbreaking Muslim led initiatives.Shemiza Rashid
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Congratulations! Your hard work paid off, and I'm so pleased that all your efforts came to fruition. Well done to the whole team! Shelina Janmohamed
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Thanks so much for thinking of inviting us. Khaled
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I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and 30 minutes was just the right time: not too long and not too short. Thanks again for the opportunity. And congratulations for the Guinness world record! Well done! Alia Alzoughbi
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That's fantastic! Well done to the whole team. I was really impressed with the way the day was planned. Happy to be a part of any such initiatives in the future. Bhavit Mehta
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Congratulations, you've gone and done it again, another world record in the bag, you guys are truly remarkable. It was a great pleasure being a part of The Big Read and previous successful projects and would love to be a part of any future endeavours. Abdullah Rolle
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I am honoured to be part of a great constructive initiative! IF has to be given a Knighthood for their achievements! Ismael, M2M
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The Big Read was a most magnificent event, superbly organised and a joy to take part in. Superbly organised, it was no surprise that the event broke the world record by a country mile. I'm Roald Dahl's biggest fan and you can't put a price on reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to a crowd of enthusiastic listeners. I'm grateful for being invited to participate. Emdad Rahman, Executive Editor, London Bangla Bilingual Free Weekly
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Congratulations on making the new record. Hodan Yusuf, Journalist
Readers
I took part in the big read yesterday and enjoyed myself whilst reading to the children. I was wondering did we manage to break the Guinness world record yesterday. Thanks for organising the event.
Hafsa
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A great achievement! I enjoyed my participation and I thought the day was very well organised, and a great idea to bring all the primary schools to the LMC (good for community cohesion!) With congratulations to the team and best wishes,Charmian (Goldsmiths)
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Given recent developments regarding the East London Mosque and various media organisations (The Daily Telegraph and Dispatches - Channel 4) I had grave reservations about todays Big Read. Thinking that it might be inappropriate for Hermitage Primary to attend I sought the advice (and reassurance) of some friends in the Muslim community, and the trip went ahead.
I went along this afternoon to get a general view as to how much politics and religion played a part in proceedings. Having briefly explained to some enthusiastic volunteer youngsters that I hadn't registered and was only there to get an overview, in no time at all I was whisked upstairs and found myself reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to a group of year 7s, mostly from Stepney Green. What a treat! It was a lovely event and not what I had feared at all. Nathaniel really enjoyed his Big Read this morning (He tells me that Elias and he read the parts of Charlie and Grandpa Joe). Could you pass on my appreciation to organisers should you find the opportunity? I hope they reached the world record. Jake Kemp
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Volunteers
Just wanted to say congratulations on another successful record/event. Its’ always a privilege to be part of something amazing you guys do. Well Done!! Arif
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Well done IF charity - for another year of record breaking success!! Well Done! Regards Abdul Malik
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All of your hard work has paid off, what a magnificent achievement, Sofia Sheakh
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Congratulations and well done to all. Great team work. Zahida Ahmed
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The event was great, what an achievement. We broke the world record. Well done to you and everyone else. Children have absolutely loved it. Thanks Nas
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Well done guys, mashaAllah another manic project another manic success! Hasan
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Well done. MashAllah may this success continue, you have helped make a huge positive difference to the lives of many children. Rizwan Ali
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General Feedback
Great news about breaking the record! Fantastic work! It was a great day and thank you for letting us film it. Michela Marchina, Producer/Director, Espresso Education Ltd
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Congratulations - that is excellent news. A very well deserved achievement and may you have more.
Shazia Wahab
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Congratulations! Wonderful stuff. Well done! Proud of you. good wishes, Siddika Talukdar
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Fantastic job! Savita Sharma
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Congratulations for the world record, once again! Mashallah its great stuff!! You guys have worked really hard to do some amazing things. Dahlia
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Excellent stuff!! Well done! Shahien Taj MBE, Executive Director, Henna Foundation
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Well done! This is really positive news. Shams A Muhammad, Director Ebrahim College
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Well done! Congratulations from the whole MD Team. We will be uploading on MD front page. Muslim Directory
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Many congratulations indeed. Good to see Tower Hamlets in the forefront. Maurice Irfan Coles, CEO Curriculum Enrichment for the Common Era (CE4CE), Director Islam and Citizenship Education project (ICE)
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I just wanted to personally congratulate you for your successful world record. I genuinely ask Allah to reward you and all the IF team for inspiring the community to return to books!
Azim Ul Hasan Kidwai, Mercy Mission
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Congratulations on the event being a success, Zed
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This is great news! Thank you for sharing it. Well done to all involved!!
Trenton Oldfield / Deepa Naik
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Fantastic!!! That's great news. It was brilliant and we had a great time. Well done!! I am very impressed. Milena
