To think Marcus Rashford is doing an amazing thing

[hibbledibble]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/entertainment-arts-54972339

I'm shocked that so many children in the UK do not own a single book: it's a travesty. I naively thought that it was something accessible to all families, especially with the bookstart packages. I'm glad he is doing something to right this.

Brilliant. He's definitely going to be on the Queens new year honor list. This is how you do it David Beckham!

He comes across as a lovely young man, and the book people have been very clever to get him on board.
However, in cities, everyone has access to hundreds upon thousands of books, free, every week from the LA libraries. I'm sure someone will come on and say they live rurally and their library service has shut, but schools also have libraries.

Good luck to them, but this isn't something that has the same impact as feeding families. If anything, I reckon it would make more sense to get behind keeping those libraries open more hours and getting facilities into areas who can't reach libraries.
I'd rather children had access to hundreds of thousands of books than be given one.

The problem is that some kids have parents who wouldn't take them to a library. The fist of a book is a beautiful thing and may encourage children to look for more books

The Book Trust and the Literacy Trust have been addressing this for some time.

I know there are initiatives to give children books already, but based on this article it seems like a lot are missing out. Libraries are great, but no use to children if parents won't take them there, or there the parents don't have transport available to the library. Owning is important, as well as borrowing, it's not an either/or.

I didn’t own any books at all as a child. That seemed quite normal to me. I was not from any sort of deprived background. We used the library a lot. My parents, great readers, don’t own books. They use the library.

I think he is doing a brilliant job too.

daisy that's interesting. I would think your situation is quite unusual. You didn't have a single book, not even baby or toddler books? I can't imagine not having any, my children are given many by family and friends as presents, as well as the many I have bought them. We have literally hundreds, and I do regularly donate bags to school, which they gratefully receive. My children like reading some of their favourites multiple times, as well as going to the library regularly. Sadly libraries are closed now, hopefully they will reopen soon.

It's a nice idea but isn't this what Bookstart already does?

Hopefully the fact he is a footballer will appeal to families and encourage reading. But... books have always been readily available for families who want them. When I was pregnant I got given board books. And again at HV visits. And again at toddler groups. The first year of my daughter’s life she was absolutely inundated with free books. But not everyone says yes to HV visits. Or goes to toddler groups. I live in a city. And yet the local story time (before Covid stopped it) had the same handful of children attending every week. Because some families don’t see the value of books and reading. And I’m not sure what will help that.

No, none at all. Not as a young child or a teen. I was born in the ‘60s. Book ownership wasn’t a thing in my parents’ circle. Going to the library was, though, and was highly valued. I remember it clearly. I could read fluently before I went to school. I loved reading and read everything I could find, but I still didn’t own any books. I went on to get a first in English Literature. My parents see book ownership as somewhat frivolous and definitely a waste of money. I have bought them books in the past, but they really don’t like it. I own millions of books now, though -cluttering up the place!

PP are right to say bookstart already does this- but only for babies & very young children. I believe The Marcus Rashford project will gift books to older children and teenagers.

The rnib is closing it large print library for Visual impair youngsters. As you and i quote for CEO " you can use a tablet "
Thus taking away books from VI youngsters

I think he's doing a brilliant thing. He said that he wanted to help children like himself, and he meant it.

No cos he bought some houses as a investment instead of spending all his money on cocaine, flash cars abd booze.
So clearly there is something very very wrong with him and any good deeds should be viewed with suspicion. And then of course there’s his u know, “background “

Signed Mr DM Reader

What Marcus is doing is great, I doubt his mum had time to trail to the library when she was working at the bookies and bringing up 5 children alone.
I love how Marcus speaks of the escapism of reading and how he would have benefitted from books as a child. For young working class boys in particular, the endorsement of reading by a premier league footballer is a powerful one.

Yes he is doing good things. But it bothers me that more and more charitable and government initiatives are needed to ensure children have the basics in life because their parents are too skint or cant be arsed to provide for them. These initiatives- the free school meals, the books - are just papering over the cracks of much bigger problems in the way society is structured.

Apart from that, school and public library provision is a much better, more efficient way of providing deprived families with books. A couple of books are better than nothing but dont go far.

Because some families don’t see the value of books and reading. And I’m not sure what will help that.

This is true and the crux of the matter. I admire him for what he’s trying to do, but I don’t think it will make much difference. His name and fame will help, of course.

Generally a good example yes. Though did he really have to add his Mum's council house (bought under the buy-to-let scheme) to his 'buy-to-let' portfolio ? He bought her another house, could have left her house as part of the council's housing stock for another family.

I remember nursery buying books to borrow because the majority of children had not one book at home and I was flabbergasted.

Closure and cutting of libraries - and children's groups that ran in them - hasn't helped; we own lots of books but always borrow others for new stories.

It's a good thing he's doing - especially as he will be someone a lot of younger males aspire to be - but it shouldn't be his place.

@Hoppinggreen

No cos he bought some houses as a investment instead of spending all his money on cocaine, flash cars abd booze. So clearly there is something very very wrong with him and any good deeds should be viewed with suspicion. And then of course there’s his u know, “background “

Signed Mr DM Reader

@Citylady88

PP are right to say bookstart already does this- but only for babies & very young children. I believe The Marcus Rashford project will gift books to older children and teenagers.

I must have missed that, thanks. In that case it's a great idea and his endorsement that reading is a worthwhile activity is in itself a good thing

@oldmotherriley

Generally a good example yes. Though did he really have to add his Mum's council house (bought under the buy-to-let scheme) to his 'buy-to-let' portfolio ? He bought her another house, could have left her house as part of the council's housing stock for another family.

In my borough if someone moves out of a council house now that was eligible to be bought but wasn't then the council will sell it anyway (usually to developers as they need a lot of work doing and the developers can offer more than Joe bloggs and his partner looking for a 'do-er upper'). They are basically trying to get rid of any remaining council housing as all new tenants will go into housing association houses on the many new build estates.

It’s also that reluctant readers may be more likely to pick up a book if someone they admire is involved, many children admire footballers so his involvement will hopefully add to the success of the scheme

I

@ThreeFeetTall

It's a nice idea but isn't this what Bookstart already does?

So.... can only one organisation / person be involved in one initiative at any given time, or what are the rules?