Stuart GouldenThe York division of READ International – a book collecting initiative for schools in Tanzania and Uganda – is taking part in the National Book Donation Day on Wednesday, 7th December.
If you’ve a bookshelf full of unused textbooks (less than 10 years old, with an ISBN number), pop along to Pickfords on James Street, between 10am and 6pm, to donate them to a good cause. There will also be bucket shake in the city centre the following day to raise money to cover the costs of sending the books to East Africa, with shipping costing 75p to reach the classrooms of some of the poorest children in the world.
A total of 45 university sites across the UK are hoping to achieve a target of 20,000 surplus books and £8,000 in fundraising this year. Every penny donated on the street collections makes this happen as READ do not receive funding from any government body, home or abroad.
To date 1,147,241 books have been shipped by READ and last month the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited a partner school in Tanzania to celebrate the donation of the 1 millionth book.
Sophie York, a second year student and READ Project Leader at the University of York said, “National Book Donation Days are really vital to the success of this year’s READ team. Education is at the heart of achieving development and without generous donations from schools, businesses and members of the public we would not be able to provide the wonderful service that READ delivers to thousands of children in East Africa. So please, have a Christmas clear-out and bring your old textbooks along to us between 10 and 6 on the 7th so we can take them out of the cupboard and into the classroom”.
Anybody unable to make the book drop-off on Wednesday can contact Sophie York at york@readbookproject.org.uk to arrange a more suitable time.
Excellent idea!! For those books we LOVE but just don't NEED, and can't bear to get rid of--this is a win-win solution.
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