LoveReading exists because reading matters, and books change lives.
Reading for pleasure can have a profound impact on children's wellbeing, attainment and future opportunities. But access to books is far from equal.
School budgets remain under enormous pressure and, for many schools serving disadvantaged communities, finding money to refresh libraries, fill classroom bookshelves and give children genuine choice over what they read can be incredibly difficult.
That is why we created the LoveReading4Kids Funding for Schools Scheme: to help get more books into the schools and communities where they can make the greatest difference.
And in 2026, we took the next important step.
We are delighted to have launched The LoveReading Foundation , an independent registered charity created to build on everything the LoveReading community has achieved so far and significantly increase the support available to schools experiencing disadvantage.
The Foundation exists to help put more books into the hands of children and young people who might otherwise miss out, supporting schools to create the conditions in which reading for pleasure can flourish.
It builds on the infrastructure and national school community already created through LoveReading4Schools, allowing us to bring together funding from corporate partners, trusts and foundations, philanthropy and the wider book community and turn that support into real books, in real schools, for real children.
The scale of the need is clear. More than 1,800 schools have already applied to us for support, demonstrating just how urgently additional investment in books and reading is needed.
The launch of The LoveReading Foundation means we can begin to build a much bigger response.
Because access to books should never be determined by postcode or circumstance.
The Foundation is the newest part of a wider model that has been developed by LoveReading to support reading for pleasure in schools.
When someone buys a physical book through LoveReading or LoveReading4Kids, 25% of the cover price can be given to a school of their choice to spend on books.
If a customer doesn't choose an individual school, 10% of their spend supports our Funding for Schools programme , helping us prioritise schools experiencing the greatest need.
Schools can also use their LoveReading4Schools Portal to engage their communities, create wishlists and fundraisers, discover recommended books and access Reading for Pleasure resources.
Together, LoveReading, LoveReading4Kids, LoveReading4Schools and The LoveReading Foundation are creating different routes through which communities, customers, businesses and funders can help get more books into schools.
Buy a Book. Support a School. Make a Difference.
For children to become readers, they need access to books that excite them.
They need choice. They need contemporary books alongside classics. They need stories in which they can recognise themselves and books that open windows into completely different lives and worlds.
Yet too many schools simply do not have the budgets needed to provide that breadth and depth of reading material.
This inequality is felt most acutely in communities already experiencing disadvantage.
Our Funding for Schools Scheme prioritises those schools where additional books can have the greatest impact.
The LoveReading4Kids Funding for Schools Scheme accepts applications from state-funded schools in the UK .
Primary schools, secondary schools and early years settings are eligible to apply.
Applications must come directly from the school rather than from a PTA.
Schools can apply for funding of between £1,000 and £5,000.
Funding is dependent upon the resources available to the scheme and demand is currently extremely high.
Our focus is books that support and encourage reading for pleasure.
We do not fund textbooks or curriculum resources.
When assessing applications, factors we may consider include:
Schools will be asked to provide information to help us understand their circumstances and assess their application fairly.
Applications can be submitted online through your LoveReading4Schools Dashboard .
Because demand for funding significantly exceeds the resources currently available, submitting an application does not guarantee that funding will be awarded.
Applications also help us understand and evidence the scale of need across UK schools, enabling LoveReading and The LoveReading Foundation to develop new partnerships and secure additional funding to support more schools.
If your school is selected for support, we will contact you directly with details of the award and how it can be used.
Applications are submitted through your LoveReading4Schools School Dashboard.
If your school is not already part of the LoveReading4Schools community, you can register free of charge to access the School Portal.
You may be asked to provide information including:
From your School Dashboard you can access applications in progress and view applications you have previously submitted.
Applications are assessed according to need, potential impact and the funding available.
LoveReading's existing Funding for Schools programme will continue to support schools, while The LoveReading Foundation will enable us to develop additional funded programmes and partnerships specifically designed to reach children and schools experiencing disadvantage.
As new funding becomes available, eligible schools within our network can be identified quickly, meaning support can move from funder to classroom as efficiently as possible.
There are plenty of ways to generate support for your school while you wait for funding.
Through your School Portal you can:
The more people who choose to buy books with social purpose, the more we can collectively put back into schools.
The LoveReading Foundation is an independent registered charity established in 2026 to advance education by increasing access to books and reading opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people.
Working alongside the established LoveReading community and LoveReading4Schools network, its ambition is simple:
More books. More opportunities to read. More children given the chance to discover a lifelong love of reading.
Because Books Change Lives.
Updated September 2026
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