Players of People’s Postcode Lottery send millionth book
Book Aid International is delighted to announce that on Friday November 24th, it sent its millionth book funded through the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
The book is on its way to The Tanzania Library Board where it will support the country’s network of 43 public libraries across Tanzania.
The first player-supported book left Book Aid International’s South London warehouse bound for Zimbabwe in 2015. Since then, books have made their way to readers in 22 countries, including Lebanon, Liberia, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “For our players to have enabled one million books to reach people across the world is a real cause for celebration, and reminds us of the power books have in creating a fairer world.
“Books may be small, but their impact is huge. It’s remarkable to think how many people will have learnt to read, discovered something they’re passionate about or simply enjoyed a moment of joy and escapism when they needed it most as a result. That’s something both our players and Book Aid International can be incredibly proud of.”
Funding is flexible, enabling Book Aid International to expand its work where the need for books is greatest. That includes ground-breaking work providing books and establishing libraries for refugee and conflict-affected communities across Africa, where books are urgently needed to support education – or to provide respite from people fleeing, or living with, war.
Book Aid International’s Vice Patron, Lord Boateng, has seen the impact of the books sent to Ghana, where he lived as a child and still regularly visits. He said: “The funding that we receive from players is really unique because it is so very flexible.
“With it we can respond to the urgent needs of countless people in real need – whether with a 40,000-book shipment to Sierra Leone after the Ebola crisis to help schools get back on their feet or a donation of just a few thousand books to support people fleeing the brutal conflict that has gripped Cameroon since 2016.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every player for making these funds available, and to People’s Postcode Lottery team for making us part of its wonderful charity family. These books transform futures, and through your generosity you are making a real difference to countless lives.”
Earlier this year, People’s Postcode Lottery and Book Aid International told the story of how in its 20th year The Snail and The Whale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler journeyed from London to Accra, Ghana, highlighting the importance of a world where everyone has access to books. Watch the video
Since 2014, Book Aid international has received £3,850,000 in funding through Postcode Education. In addition to funding the shipments of one million books, this support has also established or equipped more than 900 new school libraries, trained 1,400 teachers and librarians in how to support children’s reading and directly benefitted over 660,000 children.
To find out more, visit https://bookaid.org/support-us/give-as-a-charitable-trust/peoples-postcode-lottery/.
Ends
Images
High resolution images are available here: https://bookaid.dash.app/sharing/type/collection/kwctf-ppl-images
Further information
Please contact Emma Taylor: 07582 402446
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.