The cutting of the ribbon at 11:04am on the 9th of April, performed by local actress Priyanka Patel marked the launch of Healthy Planets new Books For Free store in W12 shopping centre, Shepherds Bush. The Charity has teamed up with W12 shopping centre and aims to save books from going to dumps by redistributing it to the community for free, already saving 24 tonnes of books from landfills. This project takes place in empty high street units across the country.

This initiative is simple: we give away unwanted books to people who want them! Our motive is also simple: reduce the amount of books that are sent to landfill. What’s great about this initiative is the extra bonus of making reading material available to more people in the community. This project takes place all over the country in otherwise empty high street units.

Furnish, the furniture re-use charity were also present, who will share the space. Furnish is an organisation that collects donated furniture and redistributes it to vulnerable and homeless people. Until now Furnish were able to collect 170 tonnes of furniture, make 1,537 collections of donated furniture and deliver to 800 homes. In West 12 they were showcasing some of the reclaimed furniture and will have their formal opening in June.

Healthy Planet gave local young photographer Marian Hadi from Events 4 Youth the opportunity to exhibit her latest work at the Books 4 Free opening. Situated next to the children book corner Marian’s work of art received great reviews. The arising photographer stated “I was never really interested in photography until March 2010 when I was offered to take park in a six week photography course at Hammersmith and Fulham Volunteer Centre”. Since then Marian decided to go onto study photography and has now been offered at place at University of Westminster to study Contemporary Media. Marian Hadi is part of the Events4Youth project, a youth lead volunteering and training project which is based in Hammersmith and Fulham Volunteering Centre. It aims to engage, train and support young people to identify, plan and run community events for other youth in Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow.

“West 12 shopping centre is proud to support Books for Free. As a Centre that serves the local community on a daily basis we are keen to support initiatives that are important to locals. At a time when libraries around the country are faced with cuts, anything that can help people to continue to read is a very worthy cause.”
Gavin Waller, West 12 Centre Manager

By Amal Ali - Events 4 Youth Volunteer