Raising money, raising readers

In the UK, up to 500,000 children (1 in 15) dont have a book of their own. This goes up to 1 in 10 for children receiving free school meals. Having access to books and developing a love of reading for pleasure is vital for a child's future. Our vision is to see more children, from all backgrounds, developing a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and benefitting from the improved life chances this brings them.

By making a donation or raising funds for World Book Day, you can help us change lives through a love of books and reading. Read about Our Impact.

The funds you raise help us to:

- Give every child a book of their own: a donation of £1/€1.50 helps us get book tokens and books to children across the UK and Ireland. For 1 in 5 children receiving free school meals the World Book Day £1/€1.50 book is the first they have had of their own. (2021 National Literacy Trust Annual Literacy Survey)

- Encourage more children to read for pleasure: by making books fun and accessible, we transform attitudes to reading encouraging more families, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to enjoy books together.

- Ensure access to books for every child: working with local communities, libraries and charity partners we deliver exciting activities to encourage reading and get books to the children and young people who need them most.

Note to schools/nurseries: World Book Day leads school/nursery fundraising activity with Book Aid International, receiving a portion of the funds. Find out more about the brilliant work they do in bringing books to children around the world here. In 2023 the amount will be a minimum of 50% of the total funds raised by schools.

Thank you for helping us to change lives through reading and access to books.