Aldi is giving away over 100,000 books to children across the UK for free this summer to help get more kids into reading.
Did you know that one in 17 children in the UK doesn’t own a single book? And more than one in four 11-year-olds had below-expected reading levels in 2019? On top of that, some new research commissioned by budget supermarket retailer Aldi has revealed that 90% of charity professionals believe that children’s reading abilities have unfortunately declined since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic too.
So, in a bid to help more children benefit from everything that reading has to offer, Aldi has announced it will donate more than 100,000 books to children across the UK ahead of the school summer holidays.
The campaign has been backed by Manchester United and England star, Marcus Rashford MBE.
Alongside the launch of the campaign, Aldi has also asked the Wythenshawe-born footballer and best-selling children’s author to narrate an animation called ‘My Reading Journey’ – which the retailer says brings to life “how much joy reading can bring to a child”.
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“I didn’t read properly until I was 17, and I don’t want that for others like me,” Marcus said.
“The escapism and joy you can get from reading could have benefitted me significantly as a child, but the issue was always access and representation.
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“Struggling to put food on the table, there was very little money left for things like books, so it’s great to see Aldi step up to address a growing need for access to books in communities just like mine [as] it’s important that children can see a world much bigger than what they see on their doorstep and that can be achieved through books.”
The books will be produced by Macmillan Children’s Books, and distributed with support from the charity Magic Breakfast – which provides nutritious breakfasts to children and young people at schools in disadvantaged areas for free – with additional copies also being donated by national giving platform, Neighbourly.
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Aldi is giving away over 100,000 books to children across the UK for free this summer / Credit: Annie Spratt (via Unsplash)
“At Aldi we believe that access to books, just like quality food, should be a right, not a privilege and every child deserves to experience the magic of reading,” added Giles Hurley – CEO at Aldi UK and Ireland.
“Not only are we donating over 100,000 books to children that need them, this campaign also aims to help raise awareness of the increasing number of children who don’t have access to their own books at home so those that are in the fortunate position to do so, have the chance to help too.”
Aldi is also encouraging the public to donate to help them provide books to a children.
Making a donation of just £5 means that two books will be gifted to those in need, and you can find out more and donate on the Aldi website here.
Featured Image – Aldi
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Stockport County’s Christmas dinner in a cup returns for 2025 as part of new festive food range
Danny Jones
We can’t believe it’s rolled around again already, but with the festive period well underway and the big day just a few weeks away, Stockport County have brought back their viral ‘Xmas dinner in a cup’for 2025.
Better still, the County Courtyard has seen some new Christmas specials added to its food menu, too.
The local football club are absolutely flying in League One at the moment, having spent plenty of time at the top of the table already and still well and truly contesting those promotion/play-off spots.
If you’re a Stopfordian, that’s plenty of cause for celebration right there, but with the Christmas dinner in a cup also up for grabs once more, the holiday season literally couldn’t taste any better right now.
For those who’ve never seen it before, it’s exactly what it says on the tin – well, cup: a little Sunday dinner in a County-branded takeaway coffee cup, complete with a healthy pour of gravy and pretty much all the trimmings you could hope for.
Yes, including sprouts, because all of you who still don’t touch them need to grow up already.
Currently priced at just £4.50, not only does it contain virtually all the major food groups (barring the customary matchday pints, of course), it might just be one of the healthiest and best value-for-money bits of footy scran around – certainly in Greater Manchester, anyway.
But, as mentioned, that’s not all this year; Stockport are also serving up the new festive hot dog and even a ‘leftover Christmas curry’ in a bowl, which might even be more warming on a cold night at Edgeley Park than the Xmas dinner in a cup or clinging onto a flask of Bovril.
Anyone else craving that curry with a cheeky bit of bubble and squeak now?
It’s also worth noting that you’ll only be able to get one of those on Boxing Day, by the way, when the Hatters host Lincoln City in the league.
As for the rest of it, County fans can get their hands on this seasonal scran for the first time this year at the weekend when Dave Challinor’s side take on Barnsley at 12:30pm, and two of the three specials will then be served at home every game over the holiday period.
Speaking of random Christmas food creations, there’s another limited-time-only and potentially divisive example that we’ll also be sampling this December…
Aldi has launched the world’s first lickable pigs in blankets wrapping paper… for some reason
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has launched its latest Christmas creation, and this one’s arguably wackier than anything else it’s brought out before.
There’s absolutely no denying that pigs in blankets are a staple of festive feasting, with millions of the little delicacies consumed throughout the UK each Christmas, but have you ever wished you could turn the taste of those pigs in blankets into a lickable wrapping paper to wrap all this year’s gifts in? Yeah probably not… Aldi‘s made it though.
It’s anticipated that more than 561 million pigs in blankets are going to be eaten over the festive period, new research has found, which is an average of 10 per person.
But if you just can’t bare to leave the taste of pigs in blankets behind, Aldi’s new wrapping paper is set to give shoppers a fun and tasty twist when it comes to gift-giving.
The limited-edition wrapping paper is inspired by Aldi’s very-own range of pigs in blankets, and is described as capturing the smoky, savoury flavour and smell of the festive treat, with stickers that peel back to reveal a truly unique ‘lickable’ experience.
Aldi has launched the world’s first lickable pigs in blankets wrapping paper / Credit: Simon Jacobs/PA Wire (via Aldi UK)
Not only does the novelty wrapping paper taste and smells like pigs in blankets, it also looks the part on presents too with its pastel pink design, festive holly, and snowflake patterns.
“Pigs in Blankets are a highlight of the festive season… so we wanted to create something special to celebrate the Christmas classic,” commented Julie Ashfield, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, as the new creation launches.
“This unique, lickable wrapping paper is the perfect way to spread extra joy on Christmas Day.”
Want to get your hands on it then? Unfortunately, it won’t be as simple as popping to your nearest Aldi store and picking up a roll, as with a creation as unique as this, there’s only going to be limited stock and a special shopper competition to win it.
To be in with a chance of winning, you simply need to email [email protected] with your full name before the deadline at 11:59pm on 1 December.
Emily Sergeant -
1st July 2022 
