A Book Drive & Literacy Initiative for Young Readers
For the past four years, Pam Golding Properties has proudly sponsored the Hospice Hall sessions at the Franschhoek Literary Festival. Through this ongoing involvement, we became closely connected to a vital local cause: the Festival's School Reading Programme, which focuses on building a sustainable culture of reading within under-resourced schools in the Franschhoek Valley.
Watch highlights from #FLF2026's recent Literary Quiz
Supporting the Franschhoek Valley Schools
The FLF School Reading Programme is currently driving an ambitious campaign to collect 25,500 books. This target is designed to meet the South African benchmark of 10 books per learner across the four valley schools it supports: Dalubuhle Primary, Groendal Primary, Wemmershoek Primary, and Wes-Eind Primary.
As a proud partner, our Winelands offices have long invited their local communities to support this specific FLF drive by donating new or gently-loved fiction books for Grades R-7.
A Broader Regional Vision
Inspired by the incredible foundation laid in Franschhoek, Pam Golding Properties Boland & Overberg sees an opportunity to grow this impact far beyond the festival gates. We are establishing a broader regional community literacy initiative designed to spark change across our entire operating footprint.
This regional vision focuses on:
- Increasing access to books for young learners.
- Fostering deeper literacy development.
- Cultivating robust school and library partnerships.
- Encouraging active community participation and meaningful business collaboration within each local area.
Helping Stories Go Further with help2read
To deepen the impact of our regional initiative beyond traditional book drives, we are thrilled to collaborate with help2read, a phenomenal literacy organisation dedicated to reading development and youth empowerment.
While physical book donations help resource libraries, help2read ensures those books become active tools for learning. The organisation trains and employs young people from local communities as specialised Literacy Tutors. These tutors are then placed within under-resourced schools to provide targeted, one-on-one reading support to children.
By integrating help2read into our regional framework, we are supporting a powerful dual purpose: accelerating child literacy whilst simultaneously creating vital employment opportunities for local youth.
How You Can Participate
- Donate Books: Pass on the simple joy of reading by dropping off new or gently-loved fiction books suitable for Grades R–7 at participating Pam Golding Properties offices across the Boland & Overberg region.
- Donate Funds:
- Financial contributions can be made directly to the Franschhoek Literary Festival School Reading Programme via their Back-a-Buddy crowdfunding campaign page.
- You can also donate directly to help2read South Africa to help fund local literacy tutors and give a young leader a stepping stone into employment.
- Donate Time: We warmly encourage nearby schools, libraries, and businesses to collaborate with our local branches. Whether by hosting a collection point, assisting with a school book drive, or helping to coordinate a local literacy event, your time can change a child's narrative.
Together, we can create spaces across the region where reading, learning, and imagination can grow.
