Siobhan Dowd Trust supports SLA members  

We are delighted to announce that the Siobhan Dowd Trust has funded members of the School Library Association to help support schools enhance their library collections.

The Siobhan Dowd Trust works to give young people the opportunity to read and enjoy literature. Money earned through royalties and foreign sales of Siobhan’s books is used to get books into the hands of disadvantaged children.

We are delighted to have a total of £5,500 to allocate to SLA member schools who apply and meet the criteria. Each month, one school will be given £500 to spend on books for their library, chosen by pupils in a local bookshop. Applications are open until July.

The SLA is delighted to help magnify the work of the Siobhan Dowd Trust as pupil choice is such a key element for engaging and sustained reading for pleasure cultures in schools. SLA CEO Alison Tarrant said: “We’d like to thank the Siobhan Dowd Trustees for supporting the SLA in this way; and helping more of our members providing the reading experiences they want to for their disadvantaged pupils.”

Schools can apply here. Schools will be chosen based on a range of criteria, including:
- % of Pupil Premium students
- % of Free School meal students
- Library budget for 2024/25
- A statement asking what impact the funds would have for their pupils.