Book event helps kids with school kit

A SHOWCASE for independent authors and secondhand book sale also helped local families with the cost of living.

Money raised by the Bream Book Fair organised by Forest-based charity Packed with Love will provide school backpacks for families struggling with the cost of living.

The charity has already sent out 52 of the kits which includes a backpack, lunchbox, water bottle, stationery and some have a book.

There were 32 authors promoting their work including novelists, poets and children’s writers at the fair.

The event also featured a children’s poetry competition.

Packed with Love founder Julie Packer said: “This is our fifth year of doing the book fair. Each year it is getting bigger and better.

“We've 32 authors this year. coming from different areas.

“This year, we're doing the return to school backpacks, and we're working along the Salvation Army to put nice backpacks together for children to go back to school.

“Families are struggling to put all this together so we've done it for them this year.

“At Christmas, we will be doing treat bags, toiletry bags, and gift cards for the homeless.

“In the backpacks, they've got the backpack, water bottle, a lunchbox, some stationery, and we've tried to put a reading book in some, but it was a bit difficult because we didn't want to make the backpacks, age appropriate.

“We will take some reading books over and the parents can choose a reading book for the child because we want every child to have a reading book.”

Younger visitors were also able to choose a free book.

“Every child that comes here today gets to choose a brand new, free reading book.

“We've got a stand with over 300 books in there – we were givens 250 books from Gloucestershire Gateway Trust.”