Asda has launched a UK-wide partnership with literacy charity the Children’s Book Project, which will enable customers in NI to donate pre-loved children’s books in-store for onward gifting to families who have fewer books of their own.
This campaign follows successful pilots earlier in the year in Asda stores across Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and London which saw over 6,000 booked donated and redistributed.
From September over 388 Asda stores, including 16 in NI, will invite local families to donate any books they’ve grown out of, and to drop them off into a dedicated donation trolley at the front of stores, hosted by the store’s Customer and Community Champion.
Together the two organisations expect to give over 20,000 children the chance to participate in book gifting festivals hosted by their school or community group, where they will be able to choose and take home, books of their own.
Book poverty has a measurable impact on children’s social and emotional development, as well as their education outcomes, and the charity’s core mission chimes with Asda’s wider, ongoing initiatives to support low-income families.
According to the National Literacy Trust Annual Literacy Survey 2022, one in three disadvantaged children across the UK has fewer than ten books of their own at home, and one in ten has none.
Through this partnership more children will have the chance to choose books they are excited about, to share stories with their wider family and to lose themselves in a story.
Sharon McBratney, Asda Dundonald Customer and Colleague Community Champion said:
“It’s great to have an accessible book donation point in our store where we can then redistribute them back into our local community. All children should be able to access a book without the cost being a barrier. This is also a great opportunity for families to have a bit of a clear out and donate any books that their children may have grown out of which will then go on to benefit many other children in our area.”
Children’s Book Project Founder and CEO Liberty Venn said:
“We are incredibly excited about the opportunity that Asda is giving to their customers nationwide to send their children’s pre-loved books on new adventures. Like us, Asda want to help tackle book poverty in childhood. Every book donated will reach a new home and impact another child, raising aspirations and building reading communities.”
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