Booktrust has secured government funding to save its three book-gifting programmes after a proposed 100 percent statutory funding cut sparked public outrage.
The charity, which provides free books for children, will now receive £13.5m over two years from the Department for Education, representing a 50 per cent funding cut from previous years but saving the charity’s Bookstart, Booktime and Booked Up schemes.
Confirming the funding agreement on Friday, Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “I am extremely confident that Booktrust, with whom we’ve worked closely to secure an excellent funding package over the next two years, will use their wealth of experience and expertise to deliver a bookgifting scheme that makes a real difference to children and families, and is sustainable in the longer term.”
Funding challenges
Viv Bird, Booktrust chief executive advised that there have been some losses in the agreement: “Faced with the challenge of a significant reduction in central funding we have had to make tough decisions about the future shape of the bookgifting programmes – one of which has been to lose one of the universal packs, Bookstart+, as part of the Bookstart programme. We are pleased, however, that we have been able to safeguard the core bookgifting offer, so that every child has access to books at key stages of their development.”
Booktrust was initially informed of a £27m, or 100 per cent, funding cut to its bookgifting schemes in England on 17 December. Announcing the planned cuts, Booktrust advised it was “immensely surprised and disappointed” by the decision, a sentiment which was felt throughout the education and publishing fields sparking a campaign backed by eminent writers including children’s writer Philip Pullman and poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion.
By the end of December the Department for Education and Booktrust had released a joint statement advising of their negotiations.
Booktrust will now receive £7.5m in 2011-12 and £6m in 2012-13 and has increased its service to include two additional services targeted at disadvantaged children and families.
Bird expressed gratitude for support over the past two months:
“We are tremendously grateful for the support we have received from publishers, authors, local authorities, libraries, health officials, schools and children’s centres and look forward to consulting closely with all of our partners about the shape and details of the programme.”
