Kibworth bookshop launches new mission to give new books to children being treated at Leicester Royal Infirmary

An award-winning Harborough village bookshop is launching a new mission to give new books to children being treated at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

The fundraising effort to support young patients at the LRI is being kickstarted by Kibworth Beauchamp-based Kibworth Books.

Staff are setting out to raise enough money via donations to hand a book to every child in the 130 beds on the wards as they get behind the hospital’s Christmas Gifting campaign.

The bookshop is also aiming to continue providing books for youngsters into the New Year and throughout 2022.

The appeal is being organised by Kibworth Books’ Children’s Bookseller Kirsty Woods following two recent hospital stays with two of her children.

Reflecting on her longest stay of 8 days with her baby daughter Edie, Kirsty said: “It was an understandably difficult and anxious time.

“But it was made all the more bearable - not just by the exceptional care - but by visits from the play specialist team who supplied books to keep Edie entertained whilst she steadily recovered.

“Having someone pop by to see us with smiles, words of encouragement and a book to engage Edie with made a world of difference.

“Needless to say Edie loved the books,” said the appreciative mum.

“And I felt so grateful for the support of all staff at the hospital that I really wanted to find a way to say thank you.

“Being a bookseller myself, raising funds to gift more books to children and share the power of a good book felt like the obvious answer!”

Kibworth Books has now set up a fundraising page on its website where customers can pledge any amount from £1 upwards.

Donations can also be made at the shop at any time during opening hours.

For every donation made, the bookshop will top up by a further 20 per cent in order to make the funds raised work even harder.

The bookshop will gift £12 worth of books, for example, from a donation of £10.

You can find more information on the mission here: https://kibworthbooks.com/blogs/news/book-fundraiser-gifting-books-to-children-in-hospitalAnd you can donate money here on the Kibworth Books website: https://kibworthbooks.com/collections/charitable-donationsKibworth Books has previously staged a campaign gifting copies of ‘The Lost Words’ by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, raising enough money to send out 133 copies of the £20 book to schools across Leicestershire.