Royal Voluntary Service named London Book Fair Charity of the Year 2020

Aiming to inspire and enable people to give the gift of voluntary service, Royal Voluntary Service works to alleviate isolation and loneliness among older people with a number of initiatives in the community and NHS, including its Home Library Service.

The Home Library Service ensures that those who are unable to get to their local library can still enjoy the pleasure of reading or listening to books. Volunteers work with 19 library services across the country to select reading materials based on clients’ tastes and preferences, and these are delivered in person, ensuring regular visits from a friendly and familiar face to those who may otherwise have limited social interactions.

"Royal Voluntary Service has been doing incredible work to support those in need, and particularly older people, for over 80 years, and we’re honoured to have them as The London Book Fair’s Charity of the Year in 2020. The Home Library service plays a vital role in ensuring those who have enjoyed a lifelong love of reading can continue to have access to books."

Jacks Thomas, Director at The London Book Fair

"We are incredibly grateful and honoured to be named The London Book Fair Charity of the Year 2020. As well as ensuring readers can continue to enjoy their love of literature, our Home Library Service volunteers offer a lifeline to the older people they support; a friendly, familiar face regularly visiting people whose mobility and social interaction are limited. Thanks to the exhibition space and marketing support from LBF, we are confident more people will be inspired to support our work."

Anna Foley, Regional Partnerships Manager at Royal Voluntary Service

As Charity of the Year 2020, Royal Voluntary Service will be given an exhibition space at LBF in March, in addition to receiving extensive marketing support before and during the event. LBF will also provide the charity with year-long promotion on its website, and online opportunities for fundraising and awareness.

The London Book Fair has supported many and varied book-related charities as long as the Fair has been running. LBF selects one charity or charitable initiative per year, with any UK charity related to books, reading and the literacy-focused non-profit community being eligible.

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