John Dean – Crime Writer

The excellent Scottish Book Trust (SBT) is seeking donations for its ongoing campaign to provide books for disadvantaged families who do not own them.

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, more than a million people in Scotland are living in poverty and a quarter of them are children. The most disadvantaged children are 50% more likely not to own a book than their peers, according to research by the National Literacy Trust.

The SBT says that the first five years of a child’s life are crucial to their social, emotional and cognitive development, and their experiences during these years have a huge, lasting impact on the course their life will take.

Sharing books, songs and stories can help give all children in Scotland the best start in life and throughout the year the Scottish Book Trust works to tackle inequality and break the poverty cycle through access to books and reading.

Since 2020, public donations have gifted more than 380,000 new books to children and families in need through food banks, community hubs and other charities across Scotland.

All funds raised will enable Scottish Book Trust to deliver more life-changing work. :

• £10 could gift a tactile book to a child with additional support needs, ensuring that all children can access the magic of books.
• £20 could make it possible for a child in a disadvantaged community to access the life-changing magic of live author events.
• £50 could provide a set of books to a food bank, community group or children’s hospital.
• £120 could create a specialised kit for families who need more support to share stories, songs and rhymes with their children.
• £300 could give a family member the tools they need to share the joy of books with a loved one living with dementia, helping them connect and relax.   
• £500 could make an author event possible for remote or disadvantaged communities across Scotland.

You can find out more, and donate, at http://www.scottishbooktrust.com