We are thrilled to announce the recipients of The Readings Foundation grants for 2012.

This year, the grant committee received a huge number of applications from all around Australia, and of particular note was the sheer number of strong submissions from organisations that work closely and actively with asylum seekers and refugees.

Readings Managing Director Mark Rubbo noted that this was a sector of the community clearly in need of further attention: ‘We felt it was vital to give support to these organisations that do not receive funding from government, or do not receive enough, yet still help some of the most disadvantaged people in our community.’

The Readings Foundation was set up in 2009 in order to grow and sustain literacy, community work and the arts. Earlier this year, it was also announced that Readings would increase the donation of its profits from 2% to 10%.

The 2012 grant recipients are:

• Save the Children: Delivery of weekly literacy and play sessions for refugee and migrant children aged 0-6 years old.

• Asylum Seeker Resource Centre: To support a program to foster attitudinal change by providing students and their teachers with facts about asylum seekers.

• The Social Studio: To support a specialised ESL literacy and training initiative aimed at refugee youths working in fashion and design.

• Concern Australia: To provide a focus on literacy and numeracy skills for young children who live on the Collingwood estate.

• The River Nile Learning Centre: To support a tutor program that improves literacy and numeracy skills of young African refugee women in the inner west.

The Readings Foundation is also pleased to continue its support of the Sacred Heart Mission ($6,000), the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s HIPPY (Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters) program ($6,000), the Glenfern Writers’ Studio ($2,500) and as previously announced to fund the new Wheeler Centre fellowships ($20 000).

This year’s grant committee included author Helen Garner, Readings’ staff, Peter Donoghue (ex-managing director of Publishers John Wiley Australia) and Gerald Smith (Phase III Accounting).

And don’t forget that you can make donations to the Foundation at any of our stores for gift-wrapping this Christmas.