VIDEO: Children are joined by Bookstart Bear on a CallConnect bus

The trip was organised to highlight both the national reading scheme, which encourages parents or carers and children to read together, and CallConnect, which operates a network of demand-responsive buses covering the whole of rural Lincolnshire.

Bookstart is a club for babies, toddlers and preschoolers designed to help families discover the fun of reading together.

It organises events and offers a range of rewards and giveaways, including a special passport to keep track of their reading.

Lincolnshire Bookstart’s Rachel Pledge said: “The Bookstart Bear Club is important for young children and their parents or carers and it’s great that these families who live in the rural areas of Lincolnshire can use CallConnect to visit their nearest Book Start Bear club activity and story time.”

“We hope the day will encourage more young children to fill their passport.”

CallConnect manager, Paul Sanders, said: “CallConnect has always worked in partnership with local organisations to support and encourage participation in local activities, and with the summer holidays just around the corner, combined with our ‘One Pound One Way’ scheme for 18s and under, we look forward to seeing more young people using CallConnect to get out and about this summer.”

To find out more, contact Lincolnshire County Council’s CallConnect Booking Centre on 0345 234 3344 or 01522 553143 or follow the service on Twitter @callconnectbus.

For more information on the Bookstart Bear Club visit www.bookstart.org.uk/bookstartbearclub.