CHILDREN'S author Michael Morpurgo has agreed to become patron of a North Devon based community group which is working to advance literacy at home and abroad.

BookRelief UK is delighted to welcome on board such an eminent author. And its trustees have the Appledore Book Festival to thank for helping to enlist his support.

Trustee Barry Evetts said: "We are very pleased to have been able to make contact with Michael through the auspices of the Appledore Book Festival who do a great job, too, in getting the message out to children that reading can be fun."

BookRelief UK has just opened a charity bookshop in Litchdon Street, Barnstaple, to replace its bookstore in Appledore which has been running for the last six months.

Barry, an ex-ship broker, started the group in October 2006 and the Rev John Carvosso, a vicar in the Two Rivers Team, came on board a year later. Grenville Yeo of the Sol charity is the third trustee.

BookRelief UK aims to advance literacy standards, both at a local level and in developing countries. It has worked for the last two years with a number of primary schools in North Devon to fund and support reading programmes.

The organisation aims to provide every year 6 primary school child with £20 worth of books of their choice to help them appreciate literature.

It is also hoping to work with schools to arrange a series of author or storyteller events.

On a broader scale the organisation is helping to advance literacy abroad. It is collecting, sorting and shipping used books to needy schools, colleges and libraries in third-world countries. Their operation is funded by grants, street collections and sales from their bookshop and online.

Lewis and Sons, the removal and storage company, of Silver Street, Barnstaple, is currently storing books for them. It will also act as a drop off point for donations.

Mr Carvosso said: "There is a joy in helping people find books they are looking for and (at the same time) we are helping children appreciate literature."

Their new bookshop at 10 Litchdon Street, Barnstaple, opened its doors yesterday.

Opening hours are 10am-5pm Wednesday to Friday, subject initially to having enough volunteers to staff it.