I now read to my children every day and we visit the library together.
We are absolutely delighted to bring you some words from our charity partner Doorstep Library…For every single box we sell, we donate one book to this amazing organisation who do so much for kids in some of the most disadvantaged parts of London…
“At Doorstep Library we aim to instil a love of reading for pleasure in children living in some of London’s disadvantaged areas. Since 2010 our volunteers have worked with over 1,100 children, reading stories and lending books on a weekly basis.
The families we work with come from across the globe, all striving to give their children the best start in life. Many families we visit speak English as a second language and often the children can speak and read in English at a higher level than their parents. For some parents, learning to read isn’t a positive memory and so reading has never been part of their lives.
Our volunteers aim to take the “learning” out of reading and show families that reading can be fun. Armed with rucksacks full of books and brightly coloured plastic stools to sit on, the volunteers visit families once a week in their homes, or on the doorstep. They read stories with the children but make it fun first, by doing the silly voices and asking questions to fire up the imagination.
Many children we visit start as reluctant readers, unaware of all that reading has to offer beyond the classroom. Volunteers get to witness children becoming budding young readers who run to the front door for their reading session. They watch reluctant parents becoming more interested week-on-week until finally they join in the sessions with us. We know our work is done when a parent comes to us and says “I now read to my children every day and we visit the library together”.
We aim to have a wide range of books in our stock, to cater to all tastes, but for us, with such a wide range of ethnic backgrounds in our beneficiaries, having a diverse range is crucially important. For children to see children who look like them reflected back in the pages of a book, diversity is key to engaging children, and to making them feel accepted in society. That’s why teaming up with Little Box of Books really is the ideal partnership for us!”
Katie Bareham,
Director of Doorstep Library