To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Bee’s Bookshare – Margate’s popular book swap club – founder Bryony “Bee” Bishop is launching a third book bundle initiative, in support of charity Pilgrims Hospices.
The fundraiser offers a surprise package of books, curated with reads from the Pilgrims Hospices Old Bank Bookshop in Margate, in exchange for a donation of at least £10 towards the charity. The more someone donates, the more books they will receive in their bundle.
Upon donating, supporters simply email their book preferences to Bee at [email protected], who will create a bundle tailored to their tastes from the bookshop’s wide-ranging selection of fiction and non-fiction books, ready for collection at the Old Bank Bookshop in Margate Old Town.
Founded in 2012, Bee’s Bookshare has brought together more than 350 book lovers over the past decade to chat about the books they’ve loved, couldn’t put down and couldn’t get into, sharing some 1,500 reads and hosting 60 meetups at various locations, including the original Forts Café, Beet Bar and currently at the beautiful community space The Garden Gate Project in Cliftonville.
Bee said: “Ten years of Bookshare feels like something worth celebrating, especially after the past two years, and I couldn’t think of a better way than sharing even more books whilst raising money for such a worthwhile charity at the same time.
“During the height of the pandemic, I was able to raise over £2,000 for Oasis Domestic Abuse Service through the book bundle initiative, and I hope to raise as much as I can for Pilgrims, especially as they’re celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2022, with the added excitement that we’ll be connecting with their vast range of fiction and non-fiction books to give donors a thrilling bundle of new reads to devour.
“Bee’s Bookshare has always been about sharing a love of reading, that there’s no set books you have to read or enjoy, and anything goes. I hope that even more people will be inspired to pick up a book this summer, ordering a book bundle for themselves or as a gift for someone else, or even for someone in the Hospices.”
Tim Stewart. Retail Business Development Manager at Pilgrims Hospices, added: “Pilgrims Hospices has always been proud to be part of our local communities, and our shops are a key part of our engagement.
“Our bookshop, The Old Bank Bookshop, in Margate, is a prime example of how we engage with the community. It is a haven of calm where its many regular customers can come and browse the wide range of books we have on offer and chat to the knowledgeable and dedicated team of volunteers that we have there.
“There is something for everyone from fiction, autobiographies, children’s books, gardening and pretty much everything else a book lover would want, as well as a wide range of art on offer.
“At times like these, when there is so much going on in the world, the escapism and solace that can be found in a book has never been needed more.”
Find out more
Donate to the Bee’s Bookshare Bundle fundraiser at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bees-bookshare-bundles
Discover more about Bee’s Bookshare at beesbookshare.co.uk
Find out more about Pilgrims Hospices at www.pilgrimshospices.org
Follow the Old Bank Bookshop @PilgrimsShops_OldBankBookshop
For further information about Bee’s Bookshare and the Book Bundle fundraiser: please contact Bryony Bishop at [email protected]
