Aberdeenshire charity Books Abroad needs your help for an Eco-Friendly Project
A north-east charity which distributes second-hand books locally, and internationally, plans to upgrade warehouse facilities to further reduce the number of books going into landfill and is calling on locals to help in their bid to secure funding towards this.
Books Abroad is one of 29 projects in Aberdeenshire in the running to receive a share of £500,000 via the Just Transition Participatory Fund.
Promoting literacy, education and understanding to provide the means of a sustainable escape route from the plight of poverty, since it was established 40 years ago by Mr Brunskill at Banff Academy in 1982, they have delivered books free of charge worldwide.
With the cost of living crisis and budget constraints, they have been asked to share books locally, and hope to share a large selection of books with children, students and community members.
Books Abroad aims to meet the worldwide demand for recycled books and their eco-friendly project is to upgrade their warehouse in Rhynie to a modern, net zero facility to encourage volunteers and the local community to use this eco-friendly, self-sufficient space.
Following a successful application, the project is now up for Participatory Budgeting public vote.
The charity has put forward a funding request of £50,000 to complete the upgrades which would enable them to expand and enhance the volume of books they are able to accept and redistribute.
Vinay Ruparelia MBE DL of Books Abroad commented: “At the moment we handle 250,000 books per year and by modernising our warehouse in Rhynie we plan to increase our volunteer team, therefore increasing the number of books we can store and redistribute.
"Our aim would be to handle 500,000 books, further reducing the amount going to landfill and providing more children with access to good quality, second hand books.
“We are seeing an increased demand locally, from nurseries, education departments and families for books, this is due to the cost-of-living crisis and a desire for us all to reduce our environmental impact, by reusing instead of buying new all of the time.
"This is your opportunity to have your say about the green projects within your community and I would encourage people to show their support for Books Abroad. By voting for us you’re not just benefitting children in your area but also giving those living in poverty, worldwide, the opportunity to expand their knowledge and understanding, with access to a wide range of books, in a sustainable way.