Stormont School donate pre-loved books to go to new readers.
One in four disadvantaged children across the UK has fewer than ten books of their own at home, and one in eight has none at all. The Children’s Book Project seeks to tackle book poverty and to give every child the opportunity to own their own book. The charity takes donations of books that children have grown out of and gifts them directly to children with very few books of their own, or none at all.
Families at Stormont School were invited to donate any new or gently-used children’s books from baby books all the way up to those suitable for age 18. The response has been amazing. Parents and children have scoured their shelves and cupboards for books that have been read and loved but now ready for a new owner. The school has been inundated with donations from parents and children, their generosity has been wonderful.
The books are cleaned, sorted and redistributed to schools across the UK. It is important for all children to have books that they can share with their family and friends helping them to broaden their literacy skills. Developing important communication in both the classroom and at home is essential for a child’s welfare.
Mrs Paramor, parent to a Year 2 child at Stormont, contacted the school to highlight this brilliant charity and asked for them to get involved.
Mrs Paramor has a real passion for reading and said “I have recently become aware of a charity working in the area (South East and London) called the Children’s Book Project, which aims to tackle book poverty by re-distributing good-quality second-hand children’s books to kids that have very few books of their own.” She went on to say “I think it would be a lovely thing for our girls to know that the books they have outgrown will have a new home to go to.”
Stormont School is always willing to help support others and this project has sparked great interest. The girls watched a YouTube video https://youtu.be/cvxS50JEk4s which explained the project and were excited to get involved.
Pupils from Years 3 and 4 were chosen to represent the school and help load the books when collected. Further information about the charity and its work can be found at www.childrensbookproject.co.uk.