BookTrust delighted by record total raised as over 8,000 people donate to Christmas Appeal
BookTrust is delighted by donations to its Christmas fundraising appeal, which raised a record £240,000 which is an incredible £47,000 over the target amount.
The campaign caught the public’s attention immediately after launching on 4th November, which saw more people donating straight away than last year. On Giving Tuesday and the day after, BookTrust received a record 1,653 donations in just two days.
The festive appeal forms part of the Letterbox project, which sends book parcels out to children who are vulnerable or in care. For many of these children, it’s the first time they have owned a book. BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, called on the public to donate £10 to donate a special book parcel and brighten up a child’s Christmas. Over 8,000 people made donations to the appeal and 12,480 parcels were delivered to the children.
BookTrust carefully chose six beautiful hardback books for children aged 3-13. Each parcel contains one book, a letter from award winning author and current Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell, a poster and bookmark created by Neal Layton, and a postcard.
Children across the UK are enrolled for the Letterbox Club by local authorities and schools. Each child receives a parcel of books, maths games, stationery and other high-quality materials once every month for six months, from May to October.
Diana Gerald, BookTrust CEO, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled by the support from the public and thanks to so many generous donations, we have been able to send a festive gift of a book to each of the 12,250 children in our 2019 Letterbox programme.
“We would like to thank everyone who donated and helped to light up Christmas for so many children who are vulnerable or in care with the gift of a story.”
BookTrust will be using the additional £120,000 to reach more vulnerable children through its programmes and activities. For instance, through Bookstart Corner, which is a free programme aimed at families with very young children who need additional support and help to engage in reading.
For more information, visit booktrust.org.uk.
