Travel company promises to continue ‘life-changing work’ with Dolly Parton

A travel company has vowed to continue the “life-changing” work of late country singer Dolly Parton as part of its ongoing children’s literacy program.

DialAFlight recently moved its Kent base from East Malling to Boxley House on the Road in Boxley near Maidstone.

For the past 10 years, Lotus, which owns DialAFlight, has worked closely with Dolly Parton, the country music legend who passed away on August 25th.

She founded a program called Imagination Library to give free books to children.

Lotus Group has donated more than a million books to help disadvantaged children learn to read – from children in the two London boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth to more than 3,000 children in care and foster care across the country.

Children participating in the scheme receive a personalized book every month until they turn five.

The tourism company said it will now expand its donation to include the Maidstone area.

Lotus MD Peter Stevens said: “It is surprising that large numbers of children leave school unable to read or write.

“And these are the basic requirements for decent work. There is also a high level of illiteracy in prisons. Often up to 50%.

“That’s why Dolly’s reading scheme can change lives, especially in families without books, giving children a better start in life.

“Children who sign up for this program receive a completely free, personally addressed book in the mail every month until the age of five.

“These books are age-appropriate and selected by a panel of teachers and education experts.

“Research shows that when these children go to school, they are ahead of their peers.”

Stevens, a former KM Group employee, explained how the scheme works.

He said: “We will meet with the local council and look at the demographics. They have details of all newborns and can make recommendations to areas most in need.”

“The council publishes the scheme – usually in early learning centres, GP surgeries and through health visitors.

“Any parent wishing to register their child provides details to the council, who are then responsible for loading the data into the Dollywood computer, which takes over control from there.”

Helen Hustle, regional director of the Dollywood Foundation, said: “We have been working with The Lotus Group for almost 10 years, helping countless disadvantaged children get the best start in life.

“The schemes have been so successful that Postcode Lottery has even agreed to fund £5 million to expand the project.

Dial-A-Flight’s 74-strong tour management team currently operates from the Grade II listed mansion, which was at various times home to both Charles Marsham, 1st Earl of Romney and Albert Style, the Maidstone brewer whose company later became half of Style and Winch.

But the company plans to build a new office building on the site for its staff, after which Boxley House will be converted into a wedding venue and wellness centre.

The Georgian-fronted building has a checkered history. It was a Catholic girls’ school, country club, hotel and osteopathic college, but fell into disrepair before the DialAFlight staff could move in.

Mr Stevens said: “He was in a sad state. The roof leaked in a dozen places, and the magnificent octagonal chimneys remained in memory. The mortar was so badly damaged that a serious storm could bring it down on the house at any moment.

The company spent £170,000 on temporary renovations while awaiting planning consent from Maidstone Council.

Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in honor of her father, Robert E. Lee, who never learned to read or write.

The singer-songwriter, who became an international star with hits such as “Jolene,” “Nine to Five” and “I Will Always Love You,” was born the fourth of 12 children and raised in a one-room cabin in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains.

Founded in 1980, Lotus Group has 500 employees and an annual turnover of 376 million.