KINGSLEY & CO: REWRITING CHILDREN’S FUTURES BY SPARKING HOPE, IMAGINATION AND THE

Joy Of Creativity

Kingsley & Co, a vibrant literacy project run by Ykids, is far more than just a children’s bookshop. Relocated at the front of the Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, it is front and centre of the towns regeneration project.

This unique space with its Victorian Explorer Steampunk theme is dedicated to making literacy, storytelling and the arts accessible to children and families. Through fun, imagination and discovery, Kingsley & Co fosters a love for reading and promotes education and wellbeing in an area that needs it most. The project also plays a key role in preparing the next generation for the workforce, offering young people valuable work experience, apprenticeships and employment opportunities.

Bootle, ranking among the bottom 6% for literacy in the UK, faces significant challenges. Kingsley & Co was born out of a passionate desire to transform this reality, offering children and families a brighter future through the power of story. The project provides a wide array of school workshops, free family projects, after-school clubs and holiday events, alongside, affordable, high-quality, second-hand children’s books available for just £1.

At the beginning of 2024, Kingsley & Co faced a challenge when redevelopment of the shopping centre prompted a move. Yet, this setback became an opportunity. The project has relocated to a larger, better-positioned unit, set to re-open in October. With this new space, Kingsley & Co will expand its offerings, providing even more activities and projects to serve the community, continuing to inspire young minds and open doors to brighter futures.

Kingsley & Co is honoured to have passionate patrons such as the multiaward winning author, screenwriter and Waterstones Children’s Laureate (2024–2026), Frank Cottrell Boyce, as well as explorer, author and TV presenter Alice Hunter Morrison. These renowned figures share the project’s vision of making literacy an exciting, accessible journey for every child.

Stepping into Kingsley & Co is an adventure in itself. The shop boasts interactive discovery rooms, a whimsical dressing-up corner, a cozy cafe and even moving bookcases and a working time machine! Named after the fearless Victorian explorer Mary Kingsley, the shop is a space where learning feels like a grand expedition.

As Kingsley & Co embarks on this exciting new chapter, we invite you to be part of our journey. With your support, we can continue to inspire and uplift children in Bootle and beyond, fostering creativity, curiosity and a lifelong love for reading. By reopening our doors to new opportunities, we are not just offering books, we are igniting dreams, rewriting futures and building a brighter tomorrow for our community.

www.kingsleyandco.org | www.ykids.co.uk

Kingsley & Co was born out of a passionate desire to transform this reality, offering children and families a brighter future through the power of story.

4Wings Northwest CIC www.4wings.co.uk

An Hour For Others www.anhourforothers.co.uk

Beautiful New Beginnings CIC www.beautifulnewbeginnings.co.uk

Big Condo Training Academy CIC www.bigcondoacademycic.co.uk

Big Help Project www.bighelpproject.com

Blackburne House www.blackburnehouse.co.uk

Central Liverpool Credit Union www.centralcu.co.uk

Claire House www.clairehouse.org.uk

Crisis Skylight www.crisis.org.uk

Diversity Role Models www.diversityrolemodels.org

Elevate www.elevate-ebp.co.uk

Expect Limited www.expect-excellence.org

Freshfields Animal Rescue www.freshfields.org.uk

Future Yard CIC www.futureyard.org

Inspire Train Grow CIC www.inspiretraingrow.co.uk

International Cotton Association Ltd (ICA) www.ica-ltd.org

Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art www.biennial.com

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital Charity www.lhchcharity.org.uk

Liverpool Heartbeat www.liverpoolheartbeat.co.uk

Liverpool Law Society www.liverpoollawsociety.org.uk

Liverpool Sunflowers www.liverpoolsunflowers.com

Liverpool University Hospitals Charity www.facebook.com/ LpoolUniHospsCharity/

Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity www.liverpoolwomens.nhs.uk/ fundraising Love&Co

Local Solutions www.localsolutions.org.uk

LTSB www.ltsb.charity

Mary’s Meals www.marysmeals.org.uk

Merseyside Expanding Horizons www.expandinghorizons.co.uk

NDNA Liverpool Network www.ndna.org.uk

No Limits Recovery Services www.nolimitsrecovery.co.uk

Nugent www.wearenugent.org

Ronald McDonald House Charities UK www.rmhc.org.uk

Royal College of Physicians www.rcplondon.ac.uk

Sean’s Place www.seansplace.org.uk

Sefton Women’s and Children’s Aid www.swaca.com

Shakespeare North www.shakespearenorthplayhouse. co.uk

South Liverpool Homes www.southliverpoolhomes.co.uk

Southport Flower Show and Victoria Park Events www.southportflowershow.co.uk

Split Perspectivz CIC www.splitperspectivz.com

Street League www.streetleague.co.uk

Team Oasis www.teamoasis.co.uk

The Brain Charity www.thebraincharity.org.uk

The Chartered Institute of Building www.ciob.org

The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts www.lipa.ac.uk

The Whitechapel Centre www.whitechapelcentre.co.uk

The Women’s Organisation www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk

Tom Harrison House www.tomharrisonhouse.org.uk

Tom’s Trust www.tomstrust.org.uk

Vibe UK www.vibeuk.org

Wirral Hospice St John’s www.wirralhospice.org

Ykids www.Ykids.co.uk

Young Persons Advisory Service www.ypas.org.uk

Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice www.zoes-place.org.uk/locations/ liverpool-hospice