World Book Day 2022

Pupils in 524 primary schools in England, Scotland and Wales celebrated World Book Day on Thursday 3rd March with a bundle of new books for their school library, donated by the Foundation in partnership with the National Literacy Trust. 

Over 5,000 books were donated to school libraries as part of the partnership to help inspire and nurture a love of reading for over 130,000 primary school children who will benefit directly from this project.

In 2019, one in four (27%) 11-year-olds in England left primary school not reading at the expected level, rising to 2 in 5 (42%) disadvantaged children. Although efforts have been made to narrow this gap in attainment, there are concerns that the long-lasting effects of the disruption to education caused by COVID-19 may reverse the progress made in the last decade. 

By working in partnership to donate books to communities across the country, the National Literacy Trust we aim to support children’s literacy recovery by investing in their school libraries post-pandemic. 

Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust said: “World Book Day is a great reminder of how important children’s literacy is in developing their skills for the future. Our research suggests that around 400,000 children don’t have a book of their own, so we’re delighted that Morrisons Foundation have chosen our charity again and will be donating books to hundreds of school libraries, providing fun and enjoyment to children.”