Empathy Day launches crowdfunding campaign for 2024

The organisers of Empathy Day (6th June) have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £8,500 to give “100,000 new children life-changing empathy education experiences”.

EmpathyLab, a not-for-profit organisation which organises the annual event each summer, said it is accelerating growth of industry-wide empathy movement through the fundraising campaign, a senior information-sharing event and plans.

It is hoped the month-long campaign will help 100,000 children take part in empathy education programme for the first time. Around £2,000 has already been raised within a matter of days.  

Organisers said: “Every child should have the chance to develop this crucial life skill, which underpins the relationships they need to thrive. They will become the empathetic citizens of the future, making a difference in the world. Scientific research shows reading builds real-life empathy.” 

The empathy education programme includes immersing children in diverse, contemporary books to develop their understanding of other people’s feelings and points of view, teaching them about what empathy is and develops their ability to put empathy into action, using practical Empathy Action Month activities. 

As well as the crowdfunding campaign, there will be a special offering for bookshops for 2025, “to maximise in-depth reach in local communities", organisers said.

Empathy Day (6th June) also features a new format featuring live and interactive author events for children and young people of all ages for the first time, in which young people and authors can share the Mission Empathy activities that will be happening all over the country such as like “Empathy Resolutions”. Michael Rosen is leading a nationwide assembly to launch the day.

Organisers said: “Empathy Day has grown hugely – last year it benefitted 636,000 children. Aiming for one million a year by 2026. Discussion framed in context of the Empathy Manifesto pledges (which launched in 2022 and supported by over 47 Builder publishers) guiding the work.

“Publishers are really embracing the drive to reach one million children by 2026, helping recruit new schools – Macmillan is involving parents, aunts, uncles in reaching out; and. Bloomsbury is doing a special teacher-focused campaign with giveaways of their books from the Read for Empathy collection.”

A round-table discussion recently took place on the issue with industry leaders including Pan Macmillan chief executive Joanna Prior, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s Francesca Dow and the Publishers Association chief executive Dan Conway among others. Organisers said the event “highlighted the acute social need, including post-pandemic issues with children’s social and emotional skills” and that Empathy Day provides “a unique blend of reading for pleasure, education and psychology, which works alongside and complements the other charities but offers something very different and unique”.

Empathy Lab will work with Conway on government lobbying, linking with professor Robin Banerjee of Sussex University on  new research on the effect of reading on children’s empathy skills.

Last year the Empathy Day scheme showed a significant uptake with 58% more children engaged with this year.