Grants and Donations
2026 Book Donation to Primary Schools
2026 has been designated the National Year of Reading. At a time when new research shows that fewer than one in three young people actively enjoy reading for pleasure, the need to inspire a love of books has never been greater.
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To support this worthwhile initiative, over the course of the year The Professor Sir William Taylor Foundation will donate 50 books to each of three primary schools, enriching their libraries and helping to nurture a lifelong love of reading.
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The collection has been carefully curated to include both fiction and non-fiction titles from trusted and much-loved children’s authors, illustrators and publishers, selected to engage and inspire children across the full primary age range.
Author visits to Kings Worthy Primary School
In April and June 2025, the Foundation funded the visits of two children's authors, Duncan Beedie (author of 'The Bear who Stared') and Yarrow Townsend ('The Map of Leaves') to Kings Worthy Primary School, Winchester.
Partnership with the University of Winchester
In 2025 the Foundation partnered with the University of Winchester to create a scholarship to fully fund a student on the MA in Education course for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Shottermill Infant School, Haslemere, Surrey
In January 2025, the Foundation made a grant of £1000 towards refurbishing the school library and buying books to encourage and support the children's learning.
The Children's Literacy Charity
In April 2025, the Foundation donated £1,000, which was matched via the Big Give platform to make a sum of £2,000. The Children's Literacy Charity exists to support children in disadvantaged areas who are falling behind in their literacy attainment. It does this by providing specialist tutors who see the children on a one-to-one or very small group basis, and it achieves remarkable results. Find out more about the work of the Children's Literacy Charity here.