Thank you to Dyson Bequest and Clayton Utz
Both Dyson Bequest and Clayton Utz have made very generous grants to The Footpath Library towards our staff and admin costs. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing support.
A promising way to help the community
Wish you could keep your resolution to eat healthier, do more exercise or stop biting your nails? It’s time to put your money where your mouth is and commit to your goal on the new Promise or Pay website. Founder, Jay Boolkin, explains where this idea came from and how it can help you achieve…
Do you have an Epic! story to share?
We will be launching our Epic! Short Story Competition for young people in Term 1 of 2015. The competition will be open to primary and secondary students with great prizes to be won. The theme for 2015 is “Home is…..” so it’s time to get those laptops charged and pencils sharpened!
Anti-social behaviour – cause or consequence of homelessness?
Sadly anti-social behaviours such as drug and alcohol abuse are often associated with homelessness. The question is what comes first? According to a series of studies from Northumbria becoming homelessness may lead to anti-social behaviours, mental health issues and substance abuse rather than the other way around. Researchers Adele Irving and Dr Jamie Harding looked…
Community connectedness is key for leading law firm, Clayton Utz
Clayton Utz is one of Australia’s leading law firms, with over 1,400 partners and employees in six offices around the country. Since 2012, Clayton Utz Foundation has provided three grants to TFL totalling $55,000, with the most recent grant just earlier this month for $20,000. Clayton Utz has generously been supporting The Footpath Library for…
Meet Lothar, Perth’s Branch Manager
Lothar has been volunteering as Perth’s Branch Manager for the last six months. He has always been around libraries and books and wants to share his adventures in reading as far as possible with all walks of life. He kindly took the time to chat with us on why he became a volunteer and how…
A series of fortunate events
Jo has been living in the leafy suburb of Mt Colah for the last 16 years. She shares her home with her fiancé and three of her five children. Her 21 year old has moved out to study at university while her 26 year old recently moved out with his girlfriend. Life for Jo is…
Why do homeless people need mobiles?
When you picture a homeless person you may not imagine them holding a mobile phone but recent research indicates that it is more common than you may think. For people without stable accommodation owning a mobile can be a way of keeping of safe and navigating a path out of homelessness. A study recently published…
A birthday wish provides much needed books
Michelle* and her daughter Rebecca* share a birthday and this year they were both celebrating important milestones. Michelle was turning 50 while Rebecca was celebrating her 18th birthday. This led them to host a big joint party but they wanted to mark the occasion by helping those less fortunate than themselves. Michelle had previously lived…
New Library Opens in Rajasthan
The Footpath Library’s Founder, Sarah has been continuing her travels and has recently returned from a small village in Rajasthan in northern India. Whilst visiting the small local primary school she discovered there were absolutely no reading resources for the children. The Footpath Library has now proudly been able to set up the village’s very…
How a chat over a cuppa is making a huge difference
Sue Stewart has been volunteering for The Footpath Library since it first began and is still as committed as ever. She shares how she first became involved and the important social impact having a chat about books over a cuppa can have. How did you first start volunteering for The Footpath Library? I volunteered with…
Tim Quinn tells if he really is a Kindle Man
Tim Quinn and his company Kindleman have been generously providing pro-bono web development support to The Footpath Library since 2010. Tim spent a bit of time explaining why Kindleman feels a strong connection to the work of The Footpath Library and how music played on an old Nokia phone can be truly beautiful. Why did…
Faces in the Street, Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson is widely recognised as Australia’s poet of the people. He led a life fraught with difficulties. He spent time in jail and experienced long periods of homelessness. Despite this, Lawson is reported to have found time for those less fortunate than himself. One of his famous poems which illustrates his incredible observation skills…
Should homeless people have pets?
It is a very common picture to see someone who is living on streets to accompanied by a four legged friend or sometimes even several animals. For some people when they see a person sleeping rough with a pet they can’t help but think “why do they have a pet when they are struggling to…
Ex-Pilot, Barry shares what The Footpath Library means to him
Just nine years ago Barry was working as a commercial airline pilot and now he is sleeping rough in a railway tunnel. Life is tough for Barry his highlight of the week is visiting The Footpath Library every Tuesday. He needs more than just food for his belly – he craves food for his mind.