Opening on Worcester High Street in August 2023, Script Haven and the Friends of Script Haven (FOSH) charity has become an important part of the local community.
Owned by former Worcestershire Poet Laureate, Leena Batchelor, the bookshop café aims to promote independent authors and publishers, acknowledging the difficulty they face when trying to achieve mainstream success, while the charity performs community outreach work.
Ms Batchelor, secretary of the charity, says FOSH tries to bring: “the well-being benefits of reading and creativity to everyone.”
They work with schools, community outreach groups and individuals to give people the chance to enhance their literary skills, which improves life skills and opportunities available to them.
With one in five children and young people having a probable mental disorder in 2023 according to NHS England, the charity gives young people the opportunity to improve their emotional development by reading for pleasure.
Ms Batchelor adds: “I know from personal experience just how important writing and reading and that escape is for your mental health and emotional health.
“I’ve previously worked in a school and I saw how many families just didn’t have access to books.
“With the cost of living crisis, you’ve got to make really difficult choices - do you keep the heating on or do you buy a book?
“And unfortunately a lot of people have to keep the heating on, so we’re trying to reach out to help.”
Starting by organising a small one week festival in May 2023, it was so well received that they decided to split it into two festivals - a dedicated children’s literary festival in Easter and a main summer festival in June.
Now organising three to five events a week, they use the spoken word to raise awareness about important issues, hosting book launches, poetry events, festivals and doing community fundraising.
The shop is keen to promote independents, encouraging people to get in touch, whether it be via their website at scripthaven.co.uk, or visiting the shop for a chat.
