More than 400,000 children and young people in the UK do not own a book, that is the equivalent of almost 1 in 15 children and this number has been growing, especially during the cost-of-living crisis. Children with their own books are more likely to be above-average readers and achieve more in school. Children without books are more likely to live in poverty. 

This is why we we aim to donate 500,000 books each year to those in need, as part of our You Buy, We Give programme. Our commitment to literacy doesn't stop at home - we work with multiple international organisations to reach every corner of the world where books are needed. We believe it is our duty to empower one another, to unlock our potential to improve the lives of all, so, we work with a network of partners around the world to achieve our goal of improving literacy wherever we see that access and opportunity are limited.

Is illiteracy still a big problem?

Sadly, yes. Did you know around 1 in 5 people around the world are completely illiterate? This means that multiple generations of people struggle with simple tasks like filling in forms, reading signs and making informed decisions. Globally, over 393 million children have failed to gain basic literacy skills by age 10, by 2030 this could reach over a billion. Literacy can be the start of the journey out of poverty  and give these children the opportunity to secure a better future, which is why access to books is so important.

What can you do to help?

We believe it is our duty to empower one another, so we work with a network of partners around the world to achieve our goal of improving literacy wherever we see that access and opportunity are limited.

You can support our mission in a few ways:

Sell us your old books – Through our Sell It Back programme, you can give your books a second life. Many of the books we buy from you help fund our donation efforts, ensuring more books reach those who need them.

Choose second-hand books – By buying used books, you’re not only making reading more affordable and sustainable but also helping us continue our work in promoting literacy worldwide.

Spread the word – The more people know about the importance of book access, the bigger the impact we can make together.

With your support, we can continue donating 500,000 books each year to those in need.