British luxury fashion house Burberry partners with English international footballer and youth advocate Marcus Rashford MBE and charitable initiatives across the world to provide disadvantaged youth with access to literacy skills and safe spaces in which to imagine new possibilities and unlock opportunity.
THE POWER OF IMAGINATION
Honouring the fashion house’s founder Thomas Burberry’s legacy of using creativity to open spaces, these initiatives will nurture children’s curiosity and ignite their dreams to become the innovators, creators and leaders of our future
In the UK, Burberry is partnering with the National Literacy Trust and Macmillan Children’s Books to help schools, libraries and community organisations provide youth with the literacy skills to succeed – with funding going towards transforming library spaces in ten schools most in need across Manchester, Liverpool and London.
Alongside reimagining these spaces, over 8,000 books will be donated to the schools, and dedicated training and access to National Literacy Trust resources will also be provided to 200 teachers across the country. They will each join the Marcus Rashford Book Club and receive a letter from the footballer.
Far too many children do not currently have access to books, typically because of financial restraints, and there was a need to inspire them and allow them to see beyond the challenges they face daily. These children need the escapism of reading more than most, and access to books should not be restricted by the area you grow up in. Coming out of the pandemic, there was a huge need for safe spaces – a space where children could come and just breathe; process their feelings. I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved here, building upon the work of the Marcus Rashford Book Club and I hope children will feel the benefit of these spaces for years to come.
Marcus Rashford, MBE
