Caroline, a dedicated teacher and headteacher, was passionate about inspiring young minds, and her legacy continues through this project. Sweet Caroline’s Hidden Book Adventure aims to provide books to children who may not have access to them at home or school. According to the National Literacy Trust, 8.6% of children and young people in the UK aged 5 to 18 do not own a book of their own—equivalent to one in 12 children.

The initiative encourages people to share the joy of reading by hiding books in public spaces for others to find, read, and re-hide. This idea was inspired by Caroline, who had created a book Advent calendar for her nephews. Unable to launch the project herself, she entrusted her brother Duncan to bring her vision to life. Since then, Duncan, his wife Natalie, their sons Harry and Edward, and a circle of family and friends, have hidden more than 500 books.

What began as a local effort in Newbury and Southampton has now grown into a global movement, with books being discovered and shared as far as Australia. Through this adventure, the initiative aims to promote reading for pleasure, foster inclusivity, and ensure books reach children who need them most.

We are delighted to announce that St Gabriel’s has successfully collected a whopping 1,427 children's books in total for the Sweet Caroline’s Hidden Book Adventure charity, with contributions from across the whole school—from Nursery to Sixth Form. A special thank you to our Year 9 pupils, who spent their sustainability lesson sorting, collating and counting the donations.

Year 9 also played a vital role in promoting the initiative within the school community by designing posters, sorting donations, and presenting a fantastic assembly to our Junior School students. Well done to Libby and Hermione in Year 9 for their inspiring presentation!

This heart-warming achievement reflects the generosity of our entire school community. We are thrilled to support this fantastic charity and share our love of books and storytelling with the wider community.