We provided each hospice with a CD mini-library consisting of a huge range of fantastic audiobooks by some of the biggest names in the publishing world, including Margaret Atwood, Bill Bryson, Dan Brown and Jacqueline Wilson. Each hospice also received MP3 CD players and headphones to distribute to its patients.
Since 2017, we have been providing tablets so that hospices can access all of our online titles, greatly increasing the number of books that patients are able to enjoy.
We are delighted to have been able to offer these mini libraries to hospices free of charge, through the generous donations of charitable trusts and companies.
David Praill, former Chief Executive of Hospice UK, said about the project;
The Books for Hospices project from Listening Books has already made a tremendous difference to hundreds of hospice patients and their families, with mini libraries being installed at more than 30 local hospices across the UK. These audiobook libraries have supported hospices in their mission to help people live well until they die, by giving people with life-limiting and terminal illnesses the chance to reap the therapeutic benefits of books, and continue to do the things they love - like relaxing with a novel or learning about something new.
If you know or work for a voluntary run hospice in the UK that could benefit from access to our online service through this project, please contact Claire at cbell@listening-books.org.uk.
The tablets are brilliant! We have been loaning one to a family who does not have access to the internet and we have been able to regularly upload new stories on for the teenager and her whole family to listen to together. This has been such a positive influence for the whole family and has been an additional way that the family can make memories together. Also, we are going to be loaning another tablet to a young girl who is blind. She already loves listening to audiobooks but this will open up the vast amount of storytellers that she can access. Thank you again for all the support of the tablet. They are such a valuable resource.
Toni Goodall