Education Aid

WORLD BOOK DAY 23 APRIL

In some parts of Spain, it is an old tradition to give a rose and a book to one another on St. George's Day, which is celebrated on 23 April. Some years ago UNESCO declared this day as the WORLD BOOK DAY. In the U.K. also people started to celebrate the World Book Day. The day is also Shakespeare's birthday. This day is celebrated throughout the country to promote books and reading. The Book Publishers and charities support the World Book Day with a range of programmes. While in the western country books are a normal part of life, in many developing countries books are scarce. Education Aid takes surplus books from schools, colleges, universities, libraries, hospitals, publishers and companies and sends them to developing countries. During 2000 we sent some 40 tons of books to overseas. This year we need more books to fulfil demands of overseas institutions, which lack in resources. So we need your help.

You can help Education Aid by organising events such as a charity raffle or sponsored read. Students and/or staff can help Education Aid to buy some books

Charity Raffle

Organise a Charity Raffle for your school. Your institution may be able to provide cash for raffle prizes or alternatively Education Aid can send book tokens as prizes. The library staff, a teacher or a group of students in your institution can organise and publicise a raffle. As a gesture of appreciation YOU or your nominated raffle manager could also receive a gift voucher from Education Aid. This gift will be in addition to the raffle prizes given to the raffle winners.

For details, send an e-mail to info@educationaid.org.uk

Sponsored Read

A Sponsored read is good way of not only promoting reading in children but also adults can catch up with those books which they always wanted to read but never had the time to do so. Organise a 'Group Read', and have people reading parts from their favourite books. Invite a celebrity, an author or the school/college head or company executive can introduce their favourite books. The 'read' can be sponsored per page or per minute.

Book Sale.

School or college students or their parents can put their surplus books in a book bank and hold a sale. For example a sale can be organised by a member of the staff in a school/college. A spare room should be set-aside for the purpose. The sale should commence a week or two before 23 April and may culminate with some other event on the day itself e.g. a 'Group read '. The parents may hold a car boot sale of books.

Surplus Books.

The Librarians and Book Publishers should take a look at their present stock and dispose off their overstocked, review copies and older editions. Such books may still be useful to many people in the developing countries. Instead of leaving those books on the shelves for later sending them to pulp why not do something for the World Book Day and send them to Education Aid.

You can of course organise other activities to mark the World Book Day and we will welcome any contribution you can make to help in the good cause of Education.

For any further information send an E-mail to info@educationaid.org.uk

Further information can also be found at

           www.worldbookday.com

           www.bbc.co.uk/education

           By e-mail from wbd@education.co.uk or by fax to 01634 290175

Thank you for helping Education Aid on the World Book Day