Help End Book Poverty During National Volunteering Week

What is National Volunteering Week?

National Volunteering Week is annual UK wide campaign which celebrate and recognises the contribution of volunteers.

Did you know:

• 14.2 million people in the UK have formally volunteered at least once a month
• 25 million people in the UK volunteered informally at least once a year

Launched 40 years ago in 1984, the week provides organisations and communities with a platform to thank current and past volunteers for their hard work and dedication. At its heart, the week-long celebration highlights the diversity and unity of volunteer work across the UK. This #volunteersweek, we are delighted to highlight the fantastic work of one of our partners, Childrens Book Project.

Did you know that over 1 million children in the UK do not own a book of their own?

The Children’s Book Project believes every child deserves the joy, confidence and opportunity that comes from owning books they can truly call their own. That’s why - during the National Year of Reading - The Children’s Book Project is on a mission to gift 1 million books to children across the UK - sustainably, joyfully, with the help of schools like yours.

Why Book Ownership Matters

Research consistently shows that owning books is one of the biggest indicators of a child’s future life chances. It’s about the excitement of choosing a story that sparks imagination. The comfort of reading a favourite book again and again. The pride of taking a book home to keep forever.

Every child deserves that feeling. And the best part? The books that can change a child’s life may already be sitting on your shelves at home.

How can Schools Reduce Book Poverty?

Run a School Book Drive

One of the easiest and most impactful ways schools can support The Children’s Book Project is by hosting a book drive. Families donate high-quality children’s books they no longer need, and those books are then passed on to children who have few, if any, books of their own.

A school book drive can:

• Encourage sustainability and reuse
• Help children understand the power of giving
• Support literacy and reading for pleasure
• Bring school communities together

Book drives are only possible thanks to volunteers - parents, teachers, school staff and pupils - who help organise collections, spread the word and encourage donations. Every box of books collected represents time, energy and care from people who want to help children discover a love of reading.

The Children’s Book Project provides guidance and support to help make every book drive simple and successful. Find everything you need here.

Keep your eyes peeled for information about Purple’s Mash’s Bookathon this November 👀 We will be asking our community of schools to come together to run book drives to help The Children’s Book Project reach their ambitious target of donating 1 million books this year.

Become a Book Monster

Schools can also get involved through Book Monsters - a fun and engaging initiative designed to celebrate reading while helping other children access books of their own.

Book Monsters is inclusive, confidence-boosting and suitable for readers of all abilities, encouraging children to share the joy of reading while making a meaningful difference.

The Children's Book Project: Supporting Children Across the UK

The charity works with primary schools, food banks, women’s refuges and organisations supporting children and families facing hardship, ensuring donated books reach children who need them most. Every donated book helps another child discover the pleasure, comfort and confidence that reading can bring.

Ready to Get Involved?

Whether your school hosts a book drive, joins Book Monsters, volunteers time, fundraises, or simply encourages families to donate pre-loved books, your support can help change childhoods through reading.