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About our Appeal
Too many children in Scotland do not have books at home. Books bring families together, comfort children and inspire joy.
One refugee family were so delighted. They had nothing, but this has meant their boys had books.
According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, over a million people in Scotland are living in poverty – and a quarter of them are children. We know that the most disadvantaged children are 50% more likely not to own a book than their peers (National Literacy Trust).
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. Books help families bond, bring joy and comfort, and improve mental health and wellbeing. The OECD found that reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background, or their income.
I learnt to read sitting in an air raid shelter with my mother reading 'Winnie-the-Pooh' to me – I now have 80 years of reading since then. Books are our teachers, our friends, our entertainment, our university. Their value is inestimable.
Year-round, Scottish Book Trust works to tackle inequality and break the poverty cycle through access to books and reading. Since 2020, your donations have gifted over 380,000 brand-new books to children and families in need through food banks, community hubs and other charities across Scotland.
Where does my donation go?
All funds raised will enable Scottish Book Trust to deliver more life-changing work. As the funding environment for charities grows more difficult, we need the support of individuals like you ensure everyone in Scotland has access to books. Every donation will make a difference to children and adults in Scotland. Here's what your support can do:
- £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 understand the huge difference having books makes to children every day in so many ways. Will you donate today and give the life-changing magic of books to a child like Ewan?