Her Majesty The Queen Consort visits Book Aid International
Book Aid International was honoured to receive a visit from Her Majesty The Queen Consort to its headquarters in South London on 2nd February, 2023.
Book Aid International works to share the power of books and build a more equal world. Every year, the charity provides over one million brand-new books to thousands of communities where people have very few opportunities to read and works with its partners to support and establish libraries.
During the visit The Queen Consort toured the organisation’s warehouse, where Her Majesty saw some of the books that the charity provides to its many library and NGO partners around the world. The books on display included the latest UK-published children’s titles, leading medical textbooks and best-selling fiction and non-fiction titles. All of the books were generously donated by the UK publishing industry.
The charity’s Vice Patron, Lord Boateng, who accompanied Her Majesty on her tour of the warehouse, commented:
“It was our great privilege to welcome Her Majesty The Queen Consort today. Her Majesty has long championed reading and today’s visit sends a clear message about the importance of books and reading for everyone, whatever their circumstances. We thank Her Majesty for her unfailing support for readers across the Commonwealth and around the world.”
During the visit The Queen Consort also met Book Aid International staff and trustees as well as representatives from its many volunteers and supporters. Her Majesty also heard from the charity’s president, Bloomsbury Publishing founder Nigel Newton and viewed photos of the charity’s work. Those photos included young readers in Malawi and Uganda, refugees in Kenya, pupils in Zambia and Zimbabwe, midwives in Somaliland and staff from the recently rebuilt University Library in Mosul, Iraq.
The visit concluded with Her Majesty helping to pack a box of books which will be sent to one of Book Aid International’s key partners in Rwanda, the Kigali Public Library, which Her Majesty visited during the CHOGM conference in June 2022.
Book Aid International Chief Executive Alison Tweed spoke of the visit saying:
“At Book Aid International we know that books give people power: that’s what drive our work every day. So we were honoured and delighted to welcome The Queen Consort, who so clearly loves books, and the great adventure of reading. We extend our warmest thanks to Her Majesty for her visit today, which gave us such a wonderful occasion to celebrate the importance of reading.”
To find out more about the charity’s work, visit bookaid.org.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Photos of The Queen Consort’s visit and images referenced above which Her Majesty viewed can be found here: https://bookaid.dash.app/sharing/type/collection/lch6v-visit-release
Further information
Please contact Emma Taylor:
07582402446
Emma.taylor@bookaid.org
About Book Aid International
Book Aid International provides over one million new books every year in the places where they will make the biggest difference and sets up libraries, trains people to run them and works with its partners to spark a love of reading.
Together with its 185 partners worldwide, the charity provides books everywhere from refugee camps, prisons and hospitals to remote schools where there has never been a library before.
All of the books the charity provides from the UK are donated by publishers, and Book Aid International receives no government grants or support. To find out more or to help send the next book visit bookaid.org.
Book Aid International is a registered charity in England and Wales. Charity number 313869.