Costa Coffee Gift-A-Book Campaign 2020
This Christmas, Costa Coffee – the nation's favourite coffee shop* – is partnering with The Reading Agency to share the joy of reading by gifting 100,000 books to some of the families and communities hit hardest by the pandemic in 2020.
The Costa Coffee Gift-A-Book campaign is inspired by Jolabokaflod, the Icelandic tradition of exchanging books with loved ones on Christmas Eve. Loosely translated, Jolabokaflod means 'Christmas Book Flood': it is a Christmas Eve tradition dating back to World War Two, where Icelanders give and receive books and read them through the night with chocolate and a hot drink.
50,000 book-and-coffee care packages – containing one adult book, one children's book, and a range of Costa Coffee treats – will be distributed to a selection of food banks, community hubs, hospitals and care homes across the UK, in time for Christmas Eve. The books in each care package have been selected from the works of six bestselling authors connected to the Costa Book Awards, one of the UK's most prestigious and popular book prizes, which Costa Coffee has sponsored for almost 50 years.
Help us reach over 2 million people in need in 2021
The Reading Agency's programmes regularly reach 1.8 million annually, using the proven power of reading to tackle life's big challenges including mental health and wellbeing, life skills and learning and loneliness and isolation. By donating to the Costa Coffee Gift-A-Book campaign, you will help the recovery of those impacted by the pandemic.
Donate now
About Costa Coffee
Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa Coffee is present in 41 countries around the world, with over 2,700+ coffee shops in the UK and Ireland and over 1,100 globally. The company is proud to be the nation's favourite coffee shop, having been awarded "Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland" by Allegra Strategies for 10 consecutive years.
Making a positive contribution to the communities it is part of is extremely important to Costa Coffee, both in the UK and across the world. Its UK-wide Community Programme enables Costa Coffee teams to volunteer their time to good causes locally and to invite community groups to make use of its welcoming space in store. As the proud sponsor of the Costa Book Awards, the company knows the power of a great read and a perfect cup of coffee. By gifting these care packages in partnership with The Reading Agency, it hopes to provide a comforting and joyful experience to the communities it serves at the end of a turbulent year.
About The Reading Agency
The Reading Agency is a UK-wide charity using the proven power of reading to tackle life's big challenges of social mobility, mental health and wellbeing and loneliness. Every year the organisation reaches 1.8 million people across the UK with the support of 13,817 partner organisations, ensuring that everyone is reading their way to a better life. Initiatives like the Costa Coffee Gift-A-Book campaign help towards giving every child and adult equal access to the joy of reading.
Find out about The Reading Agency's programmes here
*Allegra Strategies, 2019
