Doorstep Library
Literacy charity dedicated to bringing the magic of books and the joy of reading directly into the homes of children who need our support.
Registered Charity Number 1158197. Doorstep Library is a community-focused charity dedicated to bringing the gift of books and the joy of reading directly into the homes of children across London who need our support. With one in four 11-year-olds leaving primary school unable to read or write properly, we recruit and train home and online-reading volunteers to go into some of the most disadvantag
We've done it! 🎉
Wow, thank you to everyone who donated or supported our Big Give campaign in any way. You have helped us to raise a staggering £60,320!
Here are a few words from our CEO, Katie Bareham, on the impact your donations will have.
If you'd like to stay up-to-date to see how your donations are used, you can subscribe to our newsletter: https://doorsteplibrary.org.uk/newsletter-signup/
Thank you, once again, from the whole of the Doorstep Library team 💜
✨ "Reading is like dreaming but with your eyes open" - Fatimah, aged 8.
We're almost at the end of our annual Big Give summer fundraising campaign. If you have the capacity, please help us reach more children like sisters Taibah and Fatimah — because reading is a dream we should all get to experience!
Donate here: https://bit.ly/big-give-26-social
09/06/2026
We're halfway through our Big Give campaign! How are we doing?
We're currently 38% there, which means that we're not quite where we need to be if we want to reach £60k! Can you help us catch up?
These next 7 days are the best time to give as your donation will be doubled. You have until 12pm on 16th June.
Doorstep Library is 15 years old this year. Help us fund the next 15 years! Thank you 💜
Donate here: https://bit.ly/big-give-26-social
When our volunteers first started reading with 10-year-old Sonte, she'd suggest they take turns reading alternate pages, then quietly pick whichever page had the fewest words for herself.
Since then, she's found the books that work for her, and is now reading between sessions and over the holidays.
We'd love to support more children like Sonte discover that reading can be for them. To help us get there, you can donate to our Big Give campaign, where we're aiming to raise £60,000 by 16th June.
🔗 Donate here: bit.ly/big-give-26-social
05/06/2026
"I was never ever interested in reading."
Those are the words of Fatimah, 8, before Doorstep Library knocked on her door. Then one day, a volunteer held out a book and she thought: why not give it a go?
She did.
Hours disappeared. Adventures unfolded. A shy girl who once avoided books was now curled up on the sofa, lost in stories. When her neighbour, Zahar, left after their reading session, she was still reading as she walked to the car. Still reading as she climbed inside. Still reading as it drove away.
This is what reading does. It doesn't just teach children words. It gives them worlds to get lost in.
Fatimah's sister Taibah had her own quiet breakthrough — a girl who lacked the confidence to read out loud, now reading bedtime stories to her little sister every night, doing all the voices.
Two girls. One knocked-on door. A transformation that will follow them for life.
Doorstep Library volunteers visit children in some of the UK's most underserved communities, bringing books chosen just for them — adventure, comedy, graphic novels, whatever lights them up — and the time and encouragement to fall in love with reading.
Right now, we're raising £60,000 through the Big Give campaign, running 2–16 June. Every donation made during this time is matched — meaning your gift goes twice as far.
If you believe every child deserves the chance to discover a book they love, will you help us knock on more doors?
🔗 Donate here: https://bit.ly/big-give-26-social
[Image description: Fatimah (left) sits with her older sister Taibah (right) on the sofa. Both of them are smiling at the camera].
04/06/2026
Doorstep Library wouldn't be what it is without our dedicated volunteers who give their time, either in-person or online, to children all across London.
Some of our volunteers have been with us a short time, and some for a few years. Either way, they make a huge difference to families.
Thank you to each and every one of you for giving your time and enthusiasm. If you're thinking of volunteering, now is a great time to start.
Happy Volunteers' Week!
Doorstep Library started reading with children 15 years ago! Some of those children we read with are now young adults. One of those is Max, now 20, who remembers reading with us when they were just five years old. Hear them reflect on how those reading sessions had an impact on them.
Between now and midday on 16th June, we're raising £60,000 to continue enabling more children to gain access to books in underserved areas of London. To help us continue building the next generation of young readers, you can donate, where your gift will be doubled: https://bit.ly/big-give-26-social
Thank you to Antonia Rosati from Brightheart Audio for recording and editing the audio for this post.
Our Big Give summer campaign is now live! 🚨
From now until 12pm on 16th June, every donation to our Big Give Champions for Children campaign will be doubled. Our aim is to raise £60,000!
Your gift will help us:
📚 Bring reading into more homes in underserved areas of London
🤝 Recruit and train our amazing volunteers
💬 Support parents to feel confident reading with their children
Donate today and help us reach more families — your gift will go twice as far: https://bit.ly/big-give-26-social
Thank you for helping us change stories, one family at a time.
✨Project Leader Perspectives✨
Listen as Amber shares how one of our youngest readers has discovered the joy of books with Doorstep Library’s help!
You can help us bring the magic and fun of shared reading to even more children in need of support by donating to our Champions for Children campaign.
Starting this Tuesday, all gifts to our reading projects will be doubled up to £60,000 thanks to and —one donation, double the difference!
🔗 The donation link is in our bio
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Contact the organisation
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Address
X+why, Fivefields, 8-10 Grosvenor Gardens
London
SW1W0DH
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 5pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |