This week a new charity will start offering free books to residents in west London. The charity, which is called Bookbanks, will bring books to a Hammersmith and Fulham foodbank based at St Matthew’s Church from Friday November 8.
Bookbanks launched this year and has already set up shop across Norfolk and at another site in London – at St Jude & St Paul’s in Newington Green. It has so far donated over 3,000 books ranging from from swashbuckling fantasy to mouthwatering cookbooks.
Bookbank stalls will be open for Fulham foodbank users between 2pm and 4pm on Fridays. Users will be free to enjoy their new page-turners themselves, or put them under the tree this Christmas for friends and family.
Bookbanks’ founder and director Emily Rhodes said: ‘When guests approach our stalls, our trained volunteers are there to help them find the right book, whether it’s for themselves, their children, grandchildren or friends. The books spark conversations [helping to] create a positive community atmosphere, which is especially vital at this challenging time of year.’
Gabriela Garbutt, who works at the Hammersmith and Fulham Foodbank, said the new partnership will help them offer proper holistic support for those struggling to meet their basic needs. ‘As well as providing emergency food to those in need, our approach is to provide wrap-around support that tackles the root causes of food poverty,’ Garbutt said. She hopes the initiative will encourage foodbank users to join their local library and get stuck into reading.
Bookbanks and libraries aren’t the only way that Londoners can currently get stuck into reading without spending a penny. Dozens of free little libraries and book-swaps can be found in tube stations or old phone boxes across the capital. But be warned – you might be limited to battered Bill Bryson classics or a dog-eared Jacqueline Wilson tear-jerker.
Bookbanks’ mission is being supported by Bookshop.org, whose campaign Books That Give will see 10 percent of profits from certain titles donated to the charity for the rest of the year. Eligible books include Martin MacInnes’ Booker-nominated novel In Ascension and Nigar Alam’s post-Partition drama Under the Tamarind Tree.
Foodbank use has increased across the UK in recent years. According to the BBC, more than half of Londoners earning less than £13.15 an hour have used foodbanks in the past year to avoid going hungry. You can find out how to donate, volunteer, or get support from a foodbank near you through the Trussell Trust.
Bookbank stalls will be available for users at Hammersmith & Fulham foodbank 2-4pm on Fridays, and at Newington Green foodbank 12-2pm on Tuesdays.
Fancy a browse? Check out our ranking of the 2024 best bookshops in London.
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