Book Aid International

Book Aid International works for a world where everyone has the books that will enrich, improve and change lives. Every year, the charity sends around one million books to thousands of libraries, schools, universities, hospitals, refugee camps and prisons where people would otherwise have few books, or even no books at all.

Around the world, millions of people live in a world without books. Poverty means that they cannot buy books for their homes. In schools pupils share a few old, tattered textbooks and even libraries often have only a few out of date books. 

Without access to age-appropriate, up to date books, children find it more difficult to learn to read and adults cannot access information that might help them improve their lives. Professionals cannot learn new skills or keep existing skills current and everyone is denied the simple pleasure of learning. 

For 60 years, Book Aid International has worked providing beautiful brand new, carefully selected books to people around the world who need them. All of the books the charity sends are donated by the publishing industry, so they are all up to date current editions. These books range from picture books for the youngest reader right through the latest medical and law texts for practising professionals and educators. 

As well as providing books, Book Aid International offers innovative projects and programmes that create inspirational spaces for children in public and community libraries, providing much-needed Book Box Libraries in schools and training librarians and teachers in how to support young readers and run effective libraries.

Book Aid International supporter Joanna Lumley captured the impact that books can have perfectly, saying, "In building a road out of poverty, it's impossible to measure just how powerful a tool a book can be. I support Book Aid International because I am inspired by the vital work they do."

The support of players has already allowed the charity to open Children's Corners where children are welcomed into reading, brought books to the classrooms of over 70,000 African primary school pupils through Inspiring Readers, offered the chance to read for 24,000 children in Kakuma refugee camp and allowed Book Aid International to begin providing books in Sierra Leone and Rwanda. 

The charity cannot thank the players enough for their generosity. To find out more about Book Aid International please visit www.bookaid.org. To help support their work, sign up to play People's Postcode Lottery.