Author: Kirstin Knell
8th May 2025
Our work with football clubs across the UK is expanding
Football clubs have always been at the heart of communities, bringing people together in support of their team, but also providing a support network to local families.
We recognised this role that football clubs play, the power of their voice to communicate with huge fan bases, as well as their work with communities through trusts and foundations, often with children who live just a short walk from the stadium.
We began in 2022 with Watford FC running a book drive for us on a match day and in their club shop. They collected 5,000 books which we then sorted and boxed up ready for delivery to Warren Dell Primary School.
An amazing story of cyclical giving, with one football fan giving something he or she no longer needs to a child who is excited to receive it.
Since then, we’ve expanded our programme and this year we worked with Leeds United, Aston Villa, Fulham, Brentford, Queen’s Park Rangers, Croydon FC and Arsenal. Children at primary schools close to these clubs have had free pop up bookshops, at which they’ve been able to choose and keep 2 books of their own, many for the first time. Teachers tell us that these bookshops give the children not only the books, but an increased self-confidence, of seeing themselves as a reader and of understanding the language of choice.
Next year we’re excited to expand our work and invite football clubs across the country to run book drives for us, using stories the share the joy of reading through the football-loving community.
For more information, email kirstin@childrensbookproject.co.uk
