This week, we caught up with Julie de Bastion, Group Leader of Own Books, one of the 262 charities awarded a King’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2023. Based in Warwickshire, Own Books received the award for giving children the opportunity to own and enjoy books, enhancing literacy relationships and intellect.
What does the group do?
Own Books is a book donation project that helps children and young people, without books, to have their own books to keep or share at home. We aim to advance literacy and a love of reading in children.
How do volunteers contribute to Own books?
Our project is run by volunteers, who collect, sort and distribute donated children’s books from the public and charity shops. We provide an age-appropriate range of donated books to children in pre-schools, parent centres, primary schools, special schools and high schools.
What is the group’s impact on the community?
Through our series of art making and storytelling workshops, we aim to encourage and inspire literacy, creativity and imagination in children and young people, by making artworks out of dilapidated books and reading with their families. Own Books now covers over 100 schools around Warwickshire and beyond.
We always receive positive feedback from the schools we supply with books. The project leader in each school usually contacts us asking for more books than their regular delivery, so then we know that the project is appreciated and much needed within schools.
How did the group start?
Group Leader, Julie de Bastion started Own Books in 2014 after an encounter with a young girl who had never had a book at home of her own. This inspired her to begin the project because she wanted to ensure that every child had access to books. She went to her local charity shop to buy some books and a bookcase, brought these to the local school and held an assembly to tell the pupils and teachers about the project.
Julie commented:
It was a fantastic success and children could not wait to come up and have a look at the books and take some away. Within a few days, more schools have shared this and we started to get lots of calls from schools asking if they could have the scheme.
What does being awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service mean to the group and its volunteers?
All the Trustees and Volunteers at Own Books are honoured and delighted to receive this award. It spurs us on to make sure we continue to put books in the hands of children who don’t have any at home.
Tell us about your presentation event?
The Trustees and Volunteers at Own Books were delighted to attend a presentation ceremony at The Shire Hall, Warwick on Wednesday 17 January 2024. Trustees Julie de Bastion, Alison Shaw, John Latham, Judith Lindley and Julia Gibson, along with volunteers Dawn Belfield, Carly McCarthy, Lyn Myall, Viv Pierce, Alistair Price, Christoph Hoerl and Grace Ridley attended.
What happened on the day?
We were welcomed to the Warwickshire County Council meeting place in the town centre and enjoyed a cup of coffee with Sir Tim Cox, Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire and his deputies. He invited us through to a main reception room and proceeded to explain his role in the County and how delighted he was that we had been chosen to receive the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. We were one of six charities in Warwickshire this year and he was immensely proud of this achievement for the County. He then formally, on behalf of The King, presented Julie with the award and said that he had been so interested to find out about our charity and how much it is needed in schools.
Trustee, Alison commented:
All of us felt very proud of our charity and the good work it does to ensure books are placed in the hands of children who need them. We took lots of photos of the day and as a group we all went out for lunch in a local hotel to keep the celebration going!
Do you have any highlights from the last year that you would like to share?
Julie and Alison have since attended a Garden party at Buckingham Palace on a gloriously sunny day and were honoured to have been invited. All the Own Books volunteers feel this has been the highlight of the year and are over the moon to have had this recognition for a cause they all truly believe in.
What are your plans for the future?
We plan to continue supplying good quality pre-loved books to children as best as they can. Funding is sought every year that allows our group to continue its much needed work.
How can the public get involved?
Own Books is always delighted to accept donations of books from the public. We would also encourage people to get involved by following us on social media or visiting our website.
Do you know an outstanding volunteer group in your local area? Nominations for the 2025 round will open on 1st September 2024! To find out more, click here.