Encouraging reading and writing: West Kimberley Clontarf Academy students enjoy the donated 'Magabala Books Reading Table' and a selection of Magabala books.

Magabala Books have partnered with Broome's B&J Building Consultants & Steel Supplies to provide Indigenous students attending the West Kimberley Clontarf Academy with a new reading table and a great selection of Magabala books.

The 'Magabala Books Reading Table' is a small start in replacing infrastructure lost after a fire in 2012 devastated the Clontarf Academy classrooms at Broome Senior High School. Built by B&J Building apprentice, Josh Treacy, the professionally crafted table was donated to encourage reading and writing in the 2012 Year of Reading.

Students and staff gratefully received the timber table on 19 November at an informal gathering held outside Clontarf's alternate Broome premises at St Mary's College. Staff from Magabala Books, West Kimberley Clontarf Academy together with B&J Building's Managing Partner, Paul Watling, and trainees, Kristoff Augustine and Ken Brolga, were there to mark the occasion.

The donation of the table was inspired by B&J Building's contribution to Magabala Books' Australian Indigenous Creator Scholarship appeal. The appeal is designed to assist Indigenous writers and illustrators to build professional skills and develop their careers.

B&J Building is a local building company offering opportunities for Indigenous training and development. Three recent Clontarf Academy graduates are now apprentices with B&J Building.

Two students of the Academy, Azmen Sebastian and Joshua Button (now graduated), have published their children's stories with Magabala Books in recent years.

Paul Watling said 'We are really  pleased to support Magabala and Clontarf. They are both great organisations and we're really lucky to have them in Broome. We have had the opportunity to recruit three boys from Clontarf  Academy and the enthusiasm of these young men is great for our business. We know that they have good literacy, numeracy and life skills because of their time in the Clontarf programme.'

Magabala Books would like to acknowledge B&J Building and the other supporters that have generously responded to our appeal to establish the Australian Indigenous Creator Scholarship Fund in 2013.