BookTrust Christmas Appeal: ‘When people are battling to feed their families, reading and books aren’t easy to access’
Published on: 06 November 2024
Feed The Hill is a food poverty project in Lewisham that received festive book parcels from BookTrust last Christmas. Founder Sharon Shamir spoke to us about the vital role a love of reading plays in the lives of children living in low-income families.
“At Feed The Hill, we want to end food poverty in Lewisham, London. We run a food bank, a social supermarket and we deliver bags of healthy, nutritious food to people’s homes and to local schools.
“I find it incredibly upsetting that in an economy like this one, families are going without the basics. At this point in the cost-of-living crisis, we’re dealing with chronic need. As one of my customers said: ‘There’s too much month at the end of the money.’ People are really battling to feed their families.”
“We can do the food, but we can’t do all the wonderful things that organisations like BookTrust can do. Being able to partner with BookTrust to give children their own books, especially at a time like Christmas, which is so fraught for our families, is just so special and important. I’m so grateful.
“Not everyone has the time or headspace to visit libraries, or the money to make impulse purchases. For the families we support, casual purchases of books – or even the time to find and visit the nearest library – are out of their reach.”
“Being able to say: “Look, this for you to keep and read together,” is such a special gift to give a family. When you read with a child, you’re giving them the keys to unlock a love of learning. I feel like there’s a very small window with young children where you can do that.
“I really hope these book packs help start a love of reading in children. Especially in families where, maybe there isn’t a culture of reading and books aren’t easily accessible. It’s so important for us to use our reach into the community to pass that on.
“Being given a book and transported into a new world away from difficult circumstances at home, it might just be the thing that starts that child’s love of reading, which can be nurtured over time. That book pack might just spark something.”
Topics: Case studies, Christmas, Features, Testimonials
