Rubies, Parentkind, World Book Day Donate Costumes to Help Children Find the Fun in ReadingRubies, Parentkind, World Book Day Donate Costumes to Help Children Find the Fun in Reading
Rubies will donate up to 100,000 costumes, worth £1 million, to children across the U.K. Initiative comes as the charity World Book Day urges people to embrace the fun of reading.
January 22, 2025

World Book Day, Rubies and Parentkind have announced that they are teaming up to give children the chance to experience the joy and excitement of dressing up this World Book Day, which takes place on Mar. 6.
World Book Day is a charity that encourages reading enjoyment. Dressing up as beloved characters from stories allows children to engage with reading in a dynamic and imaginative way, making it more sociable and fun and less like homework.
Rubies has pledged to donate 100,000 costumes, worth £1,000,000, to disadvantaged children who might otherwise miss out on the chance to dress up as part of the All Dressed Up donation scheme.
Parentkind, a U.K. charity representing parents and Parent Teacher Associations (PTA), is calling on PTAs and schools with over 25% of pupils receiving free school meals to register to receive a dressing up box. These boxes will arrive at eligible schools ready to use on World Book Day and remain at the schools to support children’s exploration of reading enjoyment.
The power of reading for fun has been proven to boost children’s wellbeing and enhance their learning across the school curriculum. Almost 1 million children in the U.K. (approximately one in 12) don’t own a book of their own.
Findings from Parentkind’s National Parent Survey reveal that one in six parents of primary school children don’t have enough age-appropriate books at home. A further one in seven primary school parents also admit that they read to their children for fun once a month, or less.
“We are thrilled to announce our new charity partnership with World Book Day, as we come together to support underprivileged children in experiencing the magic of reading through the transformative power of dress-up,” says Fran Hales, head, portfolio and marketing, Rubies. “At Rubies, we believe in the profound impact that storytelling and imagination can have on a child's life, and we are proud to align our efforts with World Book Day's mission of promoting reading for fun.”
“Dressing up can be a great way for children to express what they love about reading,” says Cassie Chadderton, chief executive officer, World Book Day. “We’re proud to be working with Rubies and Parentkind to give more children the opportunity to get into a costume that helps them find the fun in reading, to seriously improve lives.”
“Children who read become adults who think, and World Book Day is a great charity that brings home the importance of reading for fun for millions of children every year,” says Jason Elsom, chief executive, Parentkind. “By working with our network of over 23,500 schools and parent-teacher associations, we are thrilled to work with Rubies and World Book Day in bringing even more fun and excitement to the lives of 100,000 children this year.”
The All Dressed Up Donation scheme has been created to support World Book Day on its mission to improve the lives of millions of children across the U.K.
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