An extract taken from the Book Bus Charity Newsletter

We all understand that it takes teamwork to tackle literacy and in 2022 The Book Bus was incredibly fortunate to have been selected as the International Charity for the Inner Wheel Clubs of Great Britain and Ireland’s Century anniversary.

Over two years Clubs ran events to support its funding target of £40,000, this amount would purchase a new Book Bus for Zambia and to fund its first year of operation. The Book Bus team in the UK (David and Monica) visited the Inner Wheel clubs across the country from Bristol in the South West to Stirling in Scotland to share the charity’s mission and inspire members with stories of its impact.

A pivotal figure in this initiative was Inner Wheels’s International Chairman at the time Pam Boyes, who had visited The Book Bus project in Zambia firsthand in June 2023. Her experience and dedication were instrumental in rallying support for this significant undertaking by the Inner Wheel.

By May 2024, the target of £40,000 had been reached and in May 2024, The Book Bus CEO David Gordon took delivery of “Matilda” – a 3.5 tonne IVECO specially adapted to carry both people and books across rugged terrain in Africa.

As well as raising funds, the Inner Wheel members also collected enough books to fill Matilda for her journey to Africa, an absolutely extraordinary gift.

In June 2024 Matilda left UK by ship for Namibia from where she was driven across Southern Africa by Raj the Book Bus driver to Zambia. Arriving in Kitwe in July 2024, she is now part of vital work as our local team provides literacy support to thousands of children as part of our “I am a Reader” project.

The Inner Wheel club members can be proud of their dedication and hard work in raising the funds for Book Bus Matilda; thanks to their efforts, Matilda will bring literacy support to 3,200 children across 10 schools in just one year. Beyond the classroom, she will host book clubs for 150 children during every week of the school holidays, sparking a love of reading that will ripple through families and communities. This is more than just a bus—it’s a legacy that will transform lives for generations to come.