Three Christmas gift ideas to support a local Liverpool charity and independent bookshop

Christmas is fast approaching and for anyone who would like to gift an affordable thoughtful present that gives a little back, here are three ways to support the work of Liverpool-based national charity The Reader. 

1. Treat someone to a 12-month Calderstones Membership 

Launched last week, let a loved one or friend enjoy exclusive benefits at The Reader for a year with a new Calderstones Membership for £25 and help fund the charity’s work.

It includes 10% discount off food and drinks at the cafes, event tickets, Storybarn events, the Ice Cream Parlour and books at The Reader Bookshop, as well as exclusive priority booking for selected events.  

Buy a Membership here.

2. Buy a book from one of Liverpool’s best loved indie bookshops  

The Reader Bookshop is located onsite at Calderstones Park and is one of the charity’s social enterprises. It has a wide range of literature for adults and children, Christmas cards and locally produced gifts by independent makers. 

Every book sold is for a good cause – with profits gifted to the charity’s Shared Reading projects across the UK.  

Jamie Barton, Bookshop & Literary Activity Manager at The Reader, said: “There are definitely two standout picture books for children this Christmas. Firstly, An Odd Dog Christmas by Rob Biddulph, a gloriously festive illustrated story about the real meaning of Christmas, and it is linked to our Christmas Story Trail at Calderstones Park.  

“We were also visited by the brilliant author Jarvis a couple of weeks back, where he introduced his new book Mr Santa and this one is already becoming a firm favourite. 

“For adults we’d recommend a number of brilliant poetry anthologies published by Batsford Books, including A Poem to Read Aloud Every Day of the Year, edited by Liz Ison. It’s a truly brilliant collection that will see your loved ones through 2025 with inspiring and thought-provoking selections. 

“Our bestselling fiction for adults in the run up to Christmas has been Claire Keegan’s works, Foster and Small Things Like These - of which a new film has just been released in cinemas! Better yet, Faber & Faber have just republished two beautiful hardback editions of these titles, which make them even more perfect for gifting! 

During winter The Reader Bookshop is open 10am – 4pm, seven days a week.  

Can't visit us in person? Select The Reader Bookshop as your bookshop of choice on bookshop.org and buy online here.

3. Gift an experience 

Now tickets for The Reader’s Winter 2025 programme are on sale, simply treat the cultural connoisseur in your life to an extra special event. 

Highlights include an indulgent three-course Burns Night Dinner paired with hand-selected whiskeys in the Grade II listed Mansion House, (Friday 24 January), £60, or a fast and furious Burns Night Ceilidh (Saturday 25 January) with a hearty Scottish stew and live music from traditional Liverpudlian Cèilidh band The Saltcutters, £25.  

For gardeners of all abilities, there is a 10-week Gardening Design Course with experts at Estuary Botanics starting on 27 February, £240, where they will learn how to create a stunning garden that thrives all year round. It will cover the process of designing a community of plants that complement each other throughout the year as well as how to organise garden spaces, discover the interplay of colours, textures, and shapes, and creating planting schemes.  

There are events to suit all budgets and all ages. Buying a ticket is also a great way to support The Reader as all proceeds go towards its vital charity work.  

For more gift experience explore the programme here. 

Who We Are

The Reader is a national arts and wellbeing charity which uses literature to connect individuals, help them feel better and to rebuild lost social bonds.  

It runs more than 430 free adult Shared Reading groups across the UK, including 118 in the Liverpool City Region where people connect and share experiences using stories and poems in settings ranging from dementia care homes to hospitals, mental health and social care settings, addiction rehabilitation clinics and prisons. It also runs 96 weekly activities with children. 

Shared Reading is proven to improve feelings of wellbeing. In the charity’s 2024 evaluation, 96% of participants said they “feel safe and welcome” and 95% said “Shared Reading lifts my mood”. 

Its home, the Grade II listed Mansion House in Calderstones Park, South Liverpool, is open 364 days a year, and hosts a wide range of events including poetry walks, author talks, wellbeing workshops, theatre, children’s events and literary deep dives.   

All proceeds are reinvested into The Reader’s work as a charity ensuring it can continue to offer free Shared Reading groups to as many adults as possible in Liverpool and beyond.