What we do
WE COLLECT BOOKS NO LONGER NEEDED BY PUBLISHERS, LIBRARIES, SHOPS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND DONATE THEM TO ORGANISATIONS WORKING WITH PEOPLE WHO FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO BUY BOOKS.
This includes organisations supporting people who are homeless, women's refuges, bail hostels, young people's hostels, refugee groups, food banks and people in prison and their families. We also give books to thousands of local children who have no books of their own.
We aim to reach people who do not or cannot use public libraries.
We also welcome donations of books in any language from authors, publishers and literary agencies.
First copies will go to our Multilingual Library and duplicates go to prisons, schools, hospitals, community groups or to other multilingual libraries around the UK.
Food for thought
In 2023 we gave away more than 30,000 books which was another record. Approximately half of the total went to prisons and the other half to local projects.
Groups holding English classes for refugees are welcome to write to us to request copies of English Grammar in Use, from Cambridge University Press. The books come in boxes of 10 and 12 and the books are free. Shipping costs are approximately £10 per box.
Our current opening hours are as follows:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10:00 - 16:00 but it's always good to give us a call to make sure we are open when you want to bring or collect books.
Tuesday & Thursday closed
notice of AGM
We will be holding the Kittiwake Trust AGM on Sunday, 24 November at 2.30pm at the Multilingual Library.
Address: High West Street (formerly The Gloucester), Gateshead, NE8 1EJ.
