Book Club in a Box Project
Beyond Words Book Clubs are spaces where people with learning disabilities come together to make friends, have fun and tell their own stories.
We have created a Book Club in a Box to bring our Book Clubs to organisations across England.
“When I’m doing Book Club I feel like I’m not the only one left out and I feel happy that there’s people there who feel the same. Happy!”
Our Book Clubs are life-changing. They provide a safe space for people who communicate differently, including people with learning disabilities, to have fun, make friends and develop a sense of community.
Because we know how much of a difference they make, we’ve created a special starter kit with everything you need to build your own - completely for free. The Book Club in a Box project includes books, promotional materials and more to make it as easy as possible to bring a life-changing Book Club to your area.
Book Clubs are simple. People with and without learning disabilities come together to read books from our word-free picture story series Books Beyond Words, building their own story by describing what they see in each of the pictures. Each story is unique, bringing together everyone’s experiences and encouraging them to talk about their own lives.
Following generous funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, our Book Club in a Box project aims to create 300 new Book Clubs across the country by 2026.
Our Book Club in a Box kit includes everything you need to start your own Book Club:
30 books from the word-free Books Beyond Words series - enough for six months of Book Clubs
A How-To guide with top tips
Posters and leaflets to promote your Book Club
Emotions charts to see the impact your Book Club has
Lanyards and member cards for your members
A free license to our BW Story App, giving you access to our whole range of books
Free e-training in visual literacy
The option to attend an in-person training event about visual literacy and Book Clubs
We are looking for libraries, colleges, local authorities, charities, self-advocacy groups and any other group or organisation that might be interested in hosting a Book Club to get in touch. Use the form below to get in touch with no obligation to commit and someone will be in touch.
But don’t just take our word for it - watch our video below to learn what Book Clubs mean to the people in them.
Get started with your Book Club
Want to find out more about how to get involved with the project? You can book an online appointment with one of our friendly team to talk about how we can help you to get started. Find a time that works for you.
Contact us
Want to find out more before booking an appointment? Email us at bookclubs@booksbeyondwords.co.uk, sign up for one of our free online information sessions or use the form below.
Resources
Book Club Starter Guide
Safeguarding Policy
How are we feeling sheets
