Where to Donate Books in London

As the saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. And thankfully, no matter where you are in London, there are a variety of charity shops and nonprofit literacy causes who will gladly re-home your treasure!

London’s rich literary history is reflected in our literary tube map of London, and it seemed fitting to follow this by dedicating a list of the best places to donate books in London, so read on to find a cause or a location that suits you.

The Children’s Book Project

Donation Type: Post your books
Location/s: Use the mailing address below or complete the Children’s Book Project form.
Mailing Address: London Children’s Book Project, 4 Grenfell Road, London, W11 4BN

The books donated to this foundation are cleaned and sorted by age and topic before being distributed to their partner organisations. They aim to give books that reflect children’s interest and reading needs. You can post your books to them using the mailing address below or arrange a pick up of 100+ books within West London or of 250+ books across London. 

This organisation is a great option if you don’t have time to drop books off in person, as you can simply mail them in!

Octavia Foundation

Donation Type: Drop off
Locations: Check out the full list of locations for the Octavia Foundation.
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday  10am – 6pm but Sundays vary from shop to shop.

Octavia’s charity shops are located throughout central and west London. The foundation supports people affected by low income or unemployment, ill-health and social isolation.

They care for older people through befriending and organising social activities and support young children through inspirational projects. Books are some of the many donations they need to give some recreational joy to people who may be lonely.

British Heart Foundation

Donation Type: Drop off
Location/s: Check out the full list of locations for The BHF.
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday  10am – 6pm but Sundays vary from shop to shop.

The BHF envision a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases. They raise money through a vast collection of projects to research cures and treatments, so they can beat heartbreak forever. The foundation works with ambassadors and supporters to achieve real results and keep the public well-informed on the projects going on in the UK.

Books for London

Donation Type: Drop off
Location/s: Check out the full list of locations of Books for London.
Opening Hours: Tube and train station hours.

This one is pretty cool. Books for London is quickly establishing a London-wide book sharing scheme via London’s tube and train stations. Thousands of people travel through the stations every day, and everyone can take part. The scheme is run on a volunteer basis and they aim to reach as many as 700 of the underground and train stations in Greater London as possible.

Oxfam

Donation Type: Drop off/post your books in
Locations: Check your local branch
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday  10am – 6pm but Sundays vary from shop to shop.

In case you hadn’t heard of them, Oxfam is a global movement that strives to end poverty worldwide. They have hundreds of projects, disaster aid and community endeavours across the world, helping those in desperate need.

They have many stores in Central and Greater London, and also take books by post if you’re pressed for time and fancy mailing them in. Either way, your books will have a new home if you bring them into Oxfam.

Amnesty Bookshop

Donation Type: Drop off
Location: 175 King Street, Hammersmith W6 9JT
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday: 10am to 6pm; Sundays: 12pm – 4pm

Amnesty International are another you’ve probably heard of for their work, and they’re a great place to donate books to, too! Amnesty work to protect people against injustice. The global movement is the largest grassroots human rights organisation, aiming to mobilise humans to create a safer, fairer world.

Their bookshop is run by volunteers and they want everything from fiction to nonfiction for all ages. They take CDs, DVDs and vinyls too if you have them going spare. Read more about the Amnesty Bookshop.

Fara Charity Shops

Donation Type: Drop off
Locations: Check out the full list of locations for Fara Charity Shops.
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday  10am – 6pm but Sundays vary from shop to shop.

This place is a must for bibliophiles and there’s a big choice of locations in Greater London and Central London. FARA Charity transforms the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged children, and young people in Romania through their work and the donations they receive.

Be sure to give them a call beforehand to make sure they can accommodate the books!

A second-hand book has a lot of history. You never know the real number of hands that have flipped through the pages, or caused a heinous dog-ear that cannot be undone. Back to that age-old saying, your “trash” can become someone else’s “treasure” by re-homing it. 

In return for donating your books, you’ll get a feeling of fulfilment that only comes with the notion of doing a truly good deed.