A charity drive to provide free books to children has launched at leisure centres in Shropshire including Bishop’s Castle’s Sparc Leisure Centre.
The drive is a project by the Shropshire Community Leisure Trust (SCLT) in partnership with the national charity the Children’s Book Project.
The project aims to gather books for underprivileged children.
Throughout October, the charity book drive at the trust's five centres invites the community to donate quality children's books.
These will then be distributed to children across the UK who cannot afford their own books.
The Children’s Book Project is committed to addressing 'book poverty' and aims to provide every child with the chance to own a book.
The charity believes that owning a book can improve a child's reading fluency and educational progression.
The leisure centres involved in the initiative are Oswestry Leisure Centre, Shrewsbury Sports Village, The Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre, Market Drayton Swimming and Fitness Centre, and Sparc in Bishop's Castle.
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Rhys Collins, partnership manager for the SCLT, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative.
He said: "We’re delighted to be working with the Children’s Book Project once again.
"Last year’s book drive was a big success, with our customers and employees donating hundreds of good quality books, which got a second lease of life when they were handed out to grateful kids nationwide.
"This is an important cause, so we would encourage everyone to bring their spare children’s books to our centres and play your part in giving a child the gift of reading."
The Children’s Book Project, which was founded in 2019, has donated more than one million books across the UK.
This is the third year running that the SCLT has collected books for the project.
Kirstin Knell, corporate partnerships manager for the Children’s Book Project, said: "We are so pleased that Shropshire Community Leisure Trust is collecting books again for us for the third year running, helping us on our mission to eradicate book poverty amongst children across the UK.
"Families can make a huge impact by donating books they’ve grown out of will at their local centres.
"We promise that these books will get to the children who need them most.
"Thank you to everyone who takes the time to donate to us."
The charity drive will run until the end of October.
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