OUR 2025-2026 IMPACT REPORT
Our 2025-2026 impact report celebrates the opportunity we've had this year to double in size and double over one million books. This is entirely due to the incredible support we've received from families donating their books nationwide including at over 300 Asda stores, the generosity of the publishing industry and to the extraordinary energy and commitment of our volunteers, funders and champions. This year's report highlights the extent of our reach in nine UK cities but also its depth, sharing impact stories from schools and prisons nationwide.
HELPING TO FOSTER READER IDENTITY
As the year progressed, our understanding of the multiple impacts of our work deepened: the catalysts that give rise to a child developing confidence in their reading preferences, how we can support families’ perception of books as a source of entertainment, escapism or knowledge and the powerful environmental impact of reuse.
“The children talked about the Pop Up Bookshop and the books they chose for a long time afterwards. We had groups of children planning to swap books after they finished reading their own book.”
Theory of change
Our theory of change highlights the immediate, short and long-term outcomes for young people arising from the myriad of gifting events put on using our books. It seeks to draw out connections between powerful moments in the classroom or at prison family days and children’s subsequent deeper engagement with books and reading. We want to build on our existing understanding in the year ahead and also work with partners to quantify the impact of finding homes for books that would otherwise be pulped or sit idle.
“It was a joy to watch them carefully selecting titles that matched their own interests and excitement. Two friends even chose exactly the same books so they could start their own little book club! Such a positive buzz and inspiration for conversations at home about reading and sharing books.”
PROUD TO BE PART OF THE NATIONAL YEAR OF READING
To seek the above within the 2026 National Year of Reading has been particularly motivating and we’re very proud to have made a considerable contribution to the ecosystem of literacy charities all working hard this year to inspire the next generation of readers, along with this having been selected as one of the charity partners for the inaugural Children’s Booker Prize.
“It has been fantastic to see children of all abilities from all year groups discussing books with each other, making recommendations and visibly enjoying reading. For some of our children, the books taken from the hut were the first ones they’ve ever owned. We had many questions of ‘do we really get to keep it’?”
MEASURING IMPACT
We gift to settings across the UK that support families with a high level of financial need but also to organisations whose communities are adversely emotionally impacted.
Our partner settings are all asked to complete a short evaluation questionnaire following their gifting event. This seeks their perspectives on the range, quality and relevance of the books received from us, provide insights into how they were gifted and feedback re. any perceived impacts on engagement with reading for pleasure, conversation about books and reading and literacy confidence.
“The children began to engage more positively with reading, and all three boys have made strong progress in their early reading development over the year. Mum was also supported to encourage reading at home, helping to build new routines around shared stories.”