Bookmark Reading Charity win fundraising award!

We won our first award!

We are proud to announce that we have won the Fundraising Campaign 2023 Award at the Third Sector Awards for our Bookmark Box for Ukraine appeal.

The appeal

The war in Ukraine has had a devastating impact on the world, but on none more so than the millions of children that were torn from their way of life, leaving behind their homes, loved ones, education, and belongings.

We wanted to offer support to the thousands of Ukrainian children and their families arriving in the UK and in April 2022, we launched the Bookmark Box for Ukraine. The box was a special and personal gift for the children, which they could keep forever.

The campaign was ambitious, rooted in a deep sense of responsibility to support Ukrainian child refugees experiencing a traumatic experience, provide comfort as they adjusted to their new surroundings and navigated a new school system. In less than four months, we exceeded our fundraising target of £1 million, distributing 6,500 boxes to Ukrainian children across the country, 30% more than our initial 5,000 box target.

Olena and aleksandra’s story

St John’s Upper Holloway C.E Primary School had four Ukrainian children join them and they received a Bookmark Box for Ukraine in 2022. The school is in Holloway, North London and has high numbers of students in receipt of Pupil Premium and Free School Meals. The school is diverse, with several students with English as their second language.  

Olena, aged 5 and her sister Aleksandra, aged 9, joined St John’s after arriving from Ukraine. They were living in temporary accommodation in a women’s domestic abuse shelter. Along with their mother, they shared one room while their father remained in Ukraine.  

Fortunately for Olena and Aleksandra, the school discovered the Bookmark Box for Ukraine and applied. Rebecca Ross Goobey, Deputy Headteacher, says the school first applied for the Boxes as ‘we didn’t have any dual language books in English and Ukrainian.’ Rebecca knew that ‘these would help them feel welcome.’  

Rebecca says the sisters ‘really appreciated having the dual language books.’ Olena in particular ‘loved the picture books’, she ‘would carry the books to and from school’ and their ‘mum was able to read to them.’ The box has had an impact on the children’s wellbeing, communication and confidence, Rebecca says it has allowed them to ‘read stories’ and has ‘helped them settle’ into their new lives in the UK.  

We would like to thank everyone who supported the campaign and made the Bookmark Box for Ukraine possible.