Northern marketing agency Agent has gifted over 2,000 brand-new books in December – worth a total of £15,000 – to the young people who need them most as part of its annual All You Read is Love campaign.

Agent personally delivered thousands of books to children, schools, charities and other organisations across the North West, including Bolton Lads and Girls Club in Greater Manchester and Alfie’s Squad in Liverpool. All You Read is Love, launched in 2020, has now gifted £75,000 worth of brand-new books during the last six years, reaching more than 7,000 young people.

Agent partnered with specialist global book distributor Publiship for the third consecutive year, who made an incredible donation of books in support. Further incredible donations came from major organisations the agency works with, including Northern Rail, MSB Solicitors and worldwide IT services and consulting firm CGI.

And for the first time, the campaign was backed by Children’s Laureate and award-winning author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce, as well as the National Literacy Trust (NLT). Recent research from the NLT suggests just one-in-three children aged between 8-18 enjoy reading in their spare time, which is a 38% decrease 2005 and the lowest score ever recorded, making Agent’s campaign more important than ever.

Alfie’s Squad, who received their donation a few days ago, is a non-profit organisation founded by Alfie Fitzsimmons who lost his father to suicide at the age of 15 in 2017, inspiring Alfie to take action and make a difference to the lives of other children who have been bereaved by suicide. It is the only charity in the UK offering their unique support, with team activities that reduce feelings of isolation while inspiring friendships and increased self-worth for young people aged 6-17, as well as supporting parents and carers.

Bolton Lads and Girls Club were also among those that received a donation of books. They offer targeted youth services to enrich young lives across two sites in the area, reaching over 50,000 individuals each year.