Building A Library for Shelter

For the last couple of years Big Green Books has done this thing called #BuyShelterABook.

It’s something we do before Christmas and the idea is to try and raise money so that we can send books to Shelter, to help the people they support have a better time.

Thanks to your generosity, we’ve been able to send over £5,000 worth of books to them.

I am in awe of the work that Shelter does and wanted to do something a little longer term, so I had an idea. Why don’t I start and sponsor a Shelter library?

So, I had a meeting with Hannah and Amy from Shelter, and it’s going to happen!

The first Shelter library (I hope there will be more in future) will be set up in their London hub.

This is how it’s going to work.

Each month, I’ll send a selection a books to Shelter for the library. This selection will be chosen each month based on the requests of the Shelter team.

Unlike most libraries, there’s no need for the books to be returned, as there’ll be times when it’s simply not possible. This is why I want to keep supplying books on a monthly basis, to keep the library well stocked.

Big Green Books has a Patreon. The money I get from this helps me do stuff like #buyastrangerabook and send books to schools who may need them.

As well as continuing to do these things, I've agreed to use a third of the money I make from the Patreon to buy books for the Shelter Library.

I’ve also set up an option on the website, so that, if you’d like to help, but would rather not join the Patreon, you can do so.

HERE IS THE LINK

If it proves successful, it may be that we try and roll this out to other Shelter hubs around the country.

I’m really excited about this project, and hopefully in the near future, there’ll be ways that people can donate books directly too. But this is a start and if you can help, I’d be really grateful.

The original idea was to send the first lot of books at the end of April, but with things as they are right now, this may change
. However, I want to get this project off the ground now, and as Hannah from Shelter said to me, "while there's a lot going on at the moment, it’s great that we’ve got exciting things like this to look forward to for our hub and our clients."

Oops, that shouldn't have happened.

There's a reason I've been a little quiet on Twitter recently. 

On January 21st, I went to WH Smith to buy a copy of the Beano (for my kids obvs), and when I went to pay for it, my card was declined. 

Oh, that's odd, I thought and I paid with some spare cash I had in my bag. 

Then, a little later in the day, I found that I couldn't access my Paypal account. 

Oh, that's VERY odd, I thought. 

So I logged into my online bank account to see what the heck was wrong. 

It all looked fine, but it seemed that I couldn't transfer any money, or take any money out. 

So I gave my bank a call. 

After a few security questions and pleasantries, my bank informed my the The Big Green Bookshop Ltd had been dissolved and all the assets of the business were now the property of "The Crown". 

And sure enough, I looked on the Companies House website and there it was. 

Well, I don't know if you can imagine the feeling, but it wasn't pleasant. 

I had bills to pay, I had to pay my suppliers on the 31st January and I had a series of direct debits and standing orders to account for, and also there was the obvious stuff like rent and food and all that. 

And I couldn't access any money. 

Yikes!

So the following morning I spoke to Companies House, and they were very helpful indeed and explained the reasons why it happened. 

It seems that it happens quite often, and they also explained how to resolve the situation. 

Then I had a lovely chat with my accountant...who then got to work at sorting this monumental disaster out. 

To cut a long story short(ish), on Thursday January 30th, after brilliant work from the people at Companies House, The Big Green Bookshop Ltd became active again!

It has cost a little over £1,000 and has been something of a distraction from bookselling, but I can now officially tell you that, as of about 11.05 this morning, I finally have access to the bank account and things are back to relative normality. 

The bank has been amazing and what could have taken weeks, they sorted out for me in a matter of days.

As well as all the thanks in the world to the bank and to Companies House, I would like to give a special mention to Laura (@lozziepop89), who came to my rescue on Twitter after i'd just found out, despite being at a Stormzy gig at the time. 

So, there are lessons to be learned. 

I hope I have learned them. 

Anyway, I thought I should probably tell you. 

Win £100 worth of books (of your choice).

Earlier this year a few people suggested that I set up a Patreon page, to help me with the funding of some of the projects I was working on, as well as the ones I had plans to do.

 

The idea of a Patreon scheme is that if people like what you're doing, they can lob you a quid or two each month, to help you carry on doing it. In return, they can receive exclusive stuff from the person or organisation they're helping. 

Like this "I am in a train" badge, for example

So, anyway, I set one up. 

IT'S HERE. 

Now I am the first to admit that my updates on the Patreon have been few and far between. 

But it is one of my BIG THINGS of 2020 to use the Patreon more effectively, so that those people who have supported these schemes are rewarded. 

So, to start off 2020 with a bang, i'm going to give one person who supports the Patreon 

£100 worth of books (of their choice)!

You lot have been so good since I went online. You've supported the Greta Thunberg Crowdfunder, the #BuyAStrangerABook thing, the Shelter Campaign and all the other shizzle too. 

You've even bought books from me too!

So if you want a chance to win £100 worth of books, (and you want to help me out at the same time), join the Patreon. 

One person, chosen at random will win.

I'll announce the winner on Monday January 6th 2020. 

#BuyShelterABook - the final total

A couple of weeks ago I launched #BuyShelterABook. 

Essentially, I was trying to raise some money, so we could spend it on some books to send to Shelter. 

There are more details HERE

I'm absolutely thrilled to let you know that with your help, the total raised is.....

£2,180!!

The "sheltometer" was vandalised last night, but I hope you get the idea. 

THANK YOU so much to everyone who helped, by sharing the campaign with your friends or by donating. 

The next step is to get the books ordered and delivered to the various Shelter hubs around the country. 

I have wish lists from each of these hubs and will be getting the books delivered here this week, so that I can sort them and post them out early next week. 

Obviously, you can continue to donate this week, and i'll make sure the money is allocated to Shelter. 

I'll keep you posted on Twitter on my progress. 

S

#BuyShelterABook - Wish list

There's about a week left of this year's #BuyShelterABook campaign. 

(we're raising money to send books to Shelter, to help the people they support have a better time this year. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS). 

Yesterday, we crept past the £1500 mark. AMAZING!!!!

But now it is time to appeal to publishers directly to donate books, so that they can be distributed to the 12 Shelter hubs around the UK. 

HELLO PUBLISHERS. SEND ME SOME BOOKS PLEASE!

I've gone through the wish lists from all the hubs and this is an annotated version of all of them.

You'll notice it's pretty general, so hopefully all you lovely publishers out there will be able to spare something. 

If you are not a publisher and would like to send a book, this is also encouraged. 

(address to post them to follows) 

-------------------------------------------------

A mix of books from babies to adults (this was a general feeling from the hubs).

YA and books for older children (requested by a number of different hubs)

Children’s books aged 2 – 11 (also requested by many of the hubs)

“Easy readers” 

Graphic novels would be EXCELLENT - they help with English language skills

Some self-help books, like going back to work or managing well being

“We have lots of single parent families often from diverse backgrounds”, so looking for “lovely inspirational books like the following” 

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison

Dream Big, Little Leader by Vashti Harrison

Little Leaders: Visionary Women Around the World by Vashti Harrison

(these were specific books requested, so similar books would also be really appreciated)

Books in the following languages (this list is compiled from feedback from all the hubs. Language in order of requests)

Polish

Somali

Arabic

French

Urdu

Turkish

Farsi

Cooking on a budget.

self-help books, like going back to work or managing well being

Books with arts and crafts ideas or resources.

We have our older veterans - please send military history / war fiction and local history books for the Liverpool / Merseyside area would be a bonus.

Our clients have extremely varied literacy levels so some books that those with more basic literacy skills could enjoy would be good.

-------------------------------------------------------

Here is the address to send books to. 

Big Green Bookshop

#BuyShelterABook

PO Box 403

Hastings 

TN34 9LE

Yes, I realise this is absolutely shameless, but hey, Shelter.

Thanks.

Twitter Book Group - next book

The votes are now in to decide the next book to read for Twitter Book Group

and the winner is....

THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS by URSULA LE GUIN!!

Here is the groovy cover. 

Here is the groovy blurb.

"Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new' Two people, until recently strangers, find themselves on a long, tortuous and dangerous journey across the ice. One is an outcast, forced to leave his beloved homeland; the other is fleeing from a different kind of persecution. What they have in common is curiosity, about others and themselves, and an almost unshakeable belief that the world can be a better place.

As they journey for over 800 miles, across the harshest, most inhospitable landscape, they discover the true meaning of friendship, and of love."

Twitter Book Group is open to everyone (on Twitter). 

This is our sixth book and this is how it works. 

1. Agree a book to read. 

2. Get a copy of the book

3. Read it. 

4. Chat about it.

5. Give it marks out of 10

Yeah, pretty much just like a normal book group!

So, we've chosen the book. 

The next stage is to get a copy. There are many wonderful ways of doing this. Might I suggest that if you have the means and the inclination, you buy it from ME.

If you'd like to do this, please paypal £8.99 to biggreenbookshop@hotmail.com, using family and friends and then send me a DM, letting me know your address and add the word "URSULA". 

I don't charge any P+P for book club books. 

It's been decided by the current group that we hold the next discussion after Christmas, as some people may not have a chance to reading the book otherwise (it's 338 pages). So, the next Book Group discussion will start at Midday on Tuesday January 7th 2020.

++ UPDATE ++ UPDATE ++ UPDATE ++

WE WILL NOW BE DISCUSSING THE BOOK ON TUESDAY JANUARY 14TH FROM MIDDAY

The discussion usually lasts throughout the day and sometimes into the next day, so if you're not free at midday, don't worry.

We "meet" on Twitter. 

I've set up a DM (direct message) group on Twitter dedicated to the book group, so other people don't have to put up with our book chat, so if you want to join in, please  let me know on Twitter @biggreenbooks and i'll add you to it.

There are about 80 people in the Book Group and generally between 20 and 30 people read the book and chat, so it's not too chaotic and everyone who wants to, has a chance to voice their opinions.

Hope this sounds OK and please ask me if you have any questions.

#BuyShelterABook - Day 6

A  very quick update on this year's #BuyShelterABook Christmas campaign.

We've almost reached £1,500!!

(HERE is a quick reminder of what #BuyShelterABook is).

Two things that have happened:

1. People have been amazing and have donated more dosh!

2. Jackie Morris has put two of her incredible paintings up for sale, with the money going to books for Shelter. 

Water on ink on Two Rivers paper.
Each around 25 x 20 cm

They're £500 each, and if you're interested please contact Jackie on Twitter @JackieMorrisArt to discuss details. 

I'll be doing a separate blogpost for people who'd like to donate books, rather than dosh. I've had replies from all the Shelter hubs around the UK now, so I'll list the kind of books they'd like. 

If I get a chance, I'll do it later today. 

Thank you all so much. YOU ROCK.