St Richard’s CE primary school, Hanworth, Middlesex is in a deprived area where few of the children have their own books. It has 200 children 38% of them have free school meals and 30% have special needs. It was our first project and it inspired the idea for setting up Fair Start. We started working with the school in September 2024 and opened the Library in April 2025. We learnt an enormous amount and now aim to bring this learning into more primary schools in the South East.
Seema Malhotra (MP Heston and Feltham)
“The new Library is an outstanding achievement and one has a potential to transform opportunities for local school pupils and those in the local area to connect with many wonderful books and build a love of reading. It is a powerful example of collaboration between teachers parents and the community with a network of people coming together in the project to support our young people. To also be at the launch with a renowned local children’s author just added to the magic and excitement that was so evident on the children’s faces. My congratulations to David Cope,
headteacher Lauren McCarthy and all involved”
Lauren McCarthy (Head of School)
“'I am incredibly proud of all the hard work that has gone into producing this wonderful library by all of our volunteers. We have never had a library space at our school and I am pleased that our children finally have such a beautiful, inspiring, calm space to enjoy reading.”
