A CHARITY is appealing for help to support disadvantaged and vulnerable children with festive book parcels this Christmas.
The BookTrust is working in partnership with The Fostering Network NI to identify children in care to receive the gifts.
Aimed at kids aged three to 13, the parcels include a hardback book, a bookmark, poster and a letter from the much-loved writer and illustrator Ed Vere.
The charity said it aims to "bring some joy to children at this time of year, increase book ownership amongst children who need the most support and inspire them to continue reading".
It said that sharing stories and reading are "invaluable for children and can create a lifelong positive impact on a child’s health, wellbeing, creativity and education".
The charity also said it hopes that the initiative will help "towards building a regular and ongoing reading habit that can have transformative benefits for a child’s future".
Chris Eisenstadt from BookTrust appealed for people to donate to the charity to help them provide books to disadvantaged children.
"We know that Christmas can be a really difficult time for so many families," he said
"The last two years have placed immense stresses on family life and budgets and many families feel the pressure of buying presents for their children at this time.
"For children living in care, there are added challenges, as some may be spending their first Christmas away from their families.
"Through our Christmas appeal we aim to reach as many children as we can with a festive book parcel. We hear from children and their families who tell us how much it means to them to receive a gift and a book of their own at Christmas.
"Owning books can play an important role in inspiring families to read together.
"We want to help as many children as we can across Northern Ireland so that’s why we’re asking for your support. Just one book can really help to brighten a child’s Christmas."
For information on how to donate, please visit BookTrust.org.uk/xmas.
