Festive book parcels bring Christmas joy to disadvantaged children across the UK
The BookTrust charity aims to provide 16,000 ‘surprise’ festive parcels to children .
“Beautiful” festive book parcels from a charity have helped children with experience living in foster care feel as though “Christmas has come early”.
BookTrust has set the aim of providing 16,000 “surprise” festive parcels to the most disadvantaged children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland this year, working alongside community-run food banks, local authorities and partner organisations.
Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University (HEYCU) has used BookTrust’s festive packages to help children who have experience living in foster care.
“With BookTrust’s Letterbox Festive packs, we’re able to give the children a festive parcel. The parcels always look super special, and the books have got fancy pages or are embossed – they’re beautiful,” said Amy Mercer at HEYCU.
“You’ll get some children who open the parcels and peel the top off really carefully – and some children just tear at them so the wrapping is shredded by the end of it!
“The festive ones feel really special for a lot of our children. They might not have had Christmas presents before or they might not have had positive experiences of Christmas.”
Ms Mercer added that feedback from carers has been “brilliant”, with some children actively reading at home because of the books and even reading to their siblings.
“A lot of the children we work with have either left their home without many possessions, so they’re building up their possessions again, or they’ve never actually had anything that’s been their own,” added Ms Mercer.
“Lots of the parcels that we give to them are sometimes the first things that they’ve received at their new placement.”
Diana Gerald, chief executive of BookTrust, said the cost-of-living crisis has put “additional stresses on family life and budgets”, which has made the initiative more imperative.
“Through this appeal, we aim to reach as many of these children as we can and give them the gift of laughter, new worlds and adventures that books can provide.
“Just one book can really help brighten a child’s Christmas and that’s why we’re asking for your support.”
More information about the appeal can be found here: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/xmas
