Announcement made at special Kevin McCloud fundraising evening at Chichester Cathedral
Children’s BookFest (CBF), the Chichester-based charity dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of reading, has been chosen as the Mayor of Chichester’s Charity for 2026/2027.
The exciting announcement was made at a special fundraising evening at Chichester Cathedral featuring broadcaster, designer, writer and author Kevin McCloud, in front of an audience of patrons, supporters, families, book lovers and longstanding champions of the charity, with Councillor Sean McHale, Mayor of Chichester, in attendance.
Each year, the Mayor selects a charity to support and promote through civic fundraising activity, helping to raise both vital funds and awareness for good causes across the city.
A new chapter
The appointment marks a significant moment for Children’s BookFest as the charity embarks on an important new chapter, extending its work into the young adult sector and increasing support for secondary schools across the Chichester district and beyond.
Since launching in 2019, Children’s BookFest has gifted more than 30,000 brand-new books to children, delivered hundreds of author sessions, and worked to ensure that children – particularly those facing disadvantage – have access to books, stories and the joy of reading.
Building connections with reading
Support generated through the Mayor’s Charity during 2026/2027 will enable Children’s BookFest to reach more children and young people at a time when concern around reading enjoyment among young people continues to rise nationally.
Its newly launched BookFest YA programme represents the first step in that next chapter, bringing authors, creative writing opportunities and inspiring literary experiences directly into secondary schools, helping teenagers build confidence, creativity and a stronger connection with reading.
Georgina Lippiett, Festival Director at Children’s BookFest, said: “We are absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured to have been chosen as the Mayor of Chichester’s Charity for 2026/2027. This is a hugely meaningful opportunity for Children’s BookFest. The support and visibility that comes with being chosen by the Mayor will make a genuine difference to our work and help us reach more children and young people at a time when the need has never been greater.
For many children, receiving a book of their own or meeting an author can be a truly life-changing moment. As we begin extending our work into secondary schools through BookFest YA, this support will help us continue opening doors to creativity, confidence and opportunity through reading.
We are enormously grateful to the Mayor for believing in our mission, and to everyone in our community who continues to support what we do.”
Celebrating a charity doing important work
Kevin McCloud said: “Books and storytelling have shaped so much of my own life, and ultimately even led me to becoming an author myself, so it has been a real joy to be part of this evening and to help announce this wonderful news for Children’s BookFest. During the National Year of Reading, it feels especially fitting to celebrate a charity doing such important work to help young people discover the pleasure, possibility and inspiration that reading can bring.”
Councillor Sean McHale, Mayor of Chichester, said: “I am delighted that Children’s Bookfest have agreed to be my charity for the coming year. I have had such enjoyment from reading books and they have taken me to places and situations that would otherwise have been unknown. I have read books that I could not put down and books that I did not want to finish. In this national literary year, it is right to support a charity that aims to inspire a love of reading in children so that they can become wizards, explorers, spies, astronauts and so much more.”
Championing reading
The announcement came during An Evening with Kevin McCloud, a special fundraising event at Chichester Cathedral where the much-loved broadcaster shared reflections on storytelling, creativity, books and the ideas that have shaped his life and career.
The event formed part of Children’s BookFest’s wider mission to champion reading for pleasure and ensure more children and young people have access to books, authors and creative literary experiences. With demand for the charity’s work continuing to rise, support from the Mayor’s Charity will help Children’s BookFest extend its work to even more young readers in the years ahead.
Find out more about Children’s BookFest here – https://www.childrensbookfest.com
