We are delighted to announce The Readings Foundation grant recipients for 2025!
Since 2009, The Readings Foundation has distributed over $2 million to organisations that support the most vulnerable people in our community. The Readings Foundation is passionate about supporting literacy, community integration and the arts in Victoria. Funds are contributed from a percentage of Readings’ profits, and all donations from gift wrapping offered at Readings shops throughout the year.
This year, with lower funds available due to current economic conditions, rather than do an open call-out to not-for-profit organisations, The Readings Foundation chose to continue working with our ongoing community partners, whom we have loved supporting over many years.
This included CAN Community Support in Carlton, which we have funded since we began in 2009, alongside Western Chances, Banksia Gardens and The Smith Family, with whom we have maintained an ongoing relationship. We have also chosen to continue our work with Next Steps Australia, an organisation we supported for the first time in 2024, but one we feel is doing vital work in the community. Please read on to learn more about this work.
The 2025 Recipients of The Readings Foundation grants:
Banksia Gardens | $25,000
For Aiming High VCE Support Program
CAN Community Support | $20,000
For Family Learning Program
Next Steps Australia | $25,000
To create libraries for children in family violence refuges
The Smith Family | $25,000
To overcome educational inequality caused by poverty
Western Chances | $22,000
For the Scholarships Program
Case Study: Next Steps Australia
In 2024, The Readings Foundation supported the charity Next Steps Australia with a grant of $20,000 to create libraries of children’s books in five family violence refuges in regional locations throughout Victoria. This year the amount was increased to $25,000 to contribute even more to this wonderful initiative.
Next Steps Australia was established in 2016 by Bernadette Blair, the chairperson, to help women and children fleeing domestic violence. The organisation does not receive government funding and relies solely on donations. It provides manchester packs to assist women when leaving a refuge and transitioning to independent homes. They also support survivors and their children to build secure and nurturing relationships by providing developmentally appropriate books to increase interaction and connection between the child and their caregiver as part of Next Steps Australia’s ‘Future Steps’ program.
As Blair explains: Children exposed to family violence are at higher risk of developing behavioural and emotional issues. Connecting and engaging with a parent or caregiver can alter the trajectory of a child’s experience and aid recovery from family violence. Reading to and playing with a child are ways of sharing positive experiences. Reading not only develops language and literacy skills but allows an opportunity for the child and caregiver to bond.
Last year, The Readings Foundation worked with Next Steps Australia to place libraries of brand new, age-appropriate, high-quality books into five shelters for families in regional locations around the state, including Ballarat, Shepparton, Mildura, Wodonga and Morwell. One thousand carefully curated children’s books were shipped in total, suitable for ages ranging from birth to 18 years. These were distributed to the shelters, which were also provided with bookshelves on which to display the books. This vibrant and enticing library of books is freely accessible for children and their caregivers to relax, spend quality time together and gain respite for a little while.
Joanne Miller of the Centre Against Violence said: ‘We are so grateful to Readings and Next Steps Australia for their incredible support in creating a beautiful library for our refuge accommodation. With their generous grant, one of our rooms has been transformed into a peaceful library, study space and meeting room for our clients. This beautiful new library offers children and their parent a safe, quiet space to discover the joy of reading, share stories, and create calm and positive experiences together.’
The feedback from domestic violence refuges who received a book library in 2024 was so positive that in 2025 we have increased the donation amount to $25,000. We plan to continue working with Next Steps Australia to increase our reach to six or even seven shelters, within both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. We hope that by providing these book libraries in shelters we can support families escaping from domestic violence, give them an opportunity for regaining closeness, and champion the joys and importance of reading for pleasure to children of all ages and their caregivers.
