Congratulations Susan...A new World Record of 230 T-shirts being worn at the same time!!  Completed in Luton at 3.45pm on 19th May 2008.

 Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

I am Susan Evans, a Project Leader with Read International and student at the University of Bedfordshire.

I had twice been on holiday to Africa and taken with me a selection of materials to donate to local schools.  Then a friend told me about Read International and I realised that I could do exactly the same thing, but on a much larger scale.

READ International are a fantastic new charity (they won best New Charity in 2007 Charity Times Awards - their website is http://www.readinternational.org.uk/).  Through a community of student-run READ Book Projects, we mobilise university students to collect disused, high-quality Key Stage 3 and GCSE textbooks from UK secondary schools. Our student volunteers give presentations to schools pupils to promote student volunteering, young social enterprise, recycling and global citizenship.

Our operating model is simple and low-cost and makes best use of a large supply of motivated, enterprising, and enthusiastic voluntary labour.

To date, READ Book Projects have donated 148,000 textbooks to 140 Tanzanian secondary schools and five regional libraries. The books will be used in the daily education of children working towards their Key Stage 3 and GCSE equivalent exams.

To raise money we have done a sponsored walk and on Monday 19th May I will be attempting the World Record for most T-shirts worn at one time.  If you're in the town centre come along to watch! St. George's Square, Luton from 10am to around 2pm.

We're also doing a Talent Show on 23rd May at the University of Bedfordshire's Student Union.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Recycling Education Allowing Development International gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!  If you work in a school and you have books to donate, then please e-mail me at bedfordshire@readbookproject.org.uk