Once the final shipment of the year sets sail for Ghana in the next few weeks, the ILBF will have shipped over 850 boxes of books to 21 organizations in 11 countries in 2016.

Each year the number and quality of books donated gets better and better. We thought we’d share with you some of the recent shipment highlights, where books have been donated from a range of organizations and packed up, ready for collection. Huge thanks to book donors, packers and our volunteers: our achievement this year, as with every year, could not happen without you.

Our shipment to Nepal is our biggest yet: 240 boxes sent to five organizations. We are delighted and very grateful to have the support of The Asia Foundation’s office in Kathmandu who will distribute the books on their arrival in the next few weeks.

Sue Field at Clifford Chance with the huge shipment she packed

In Cardiff, books were donated and packed by the team at the Employment Tribunal for the recent shipment to Guyana, currently on route across the Atlantic.

Left to right:  Barry Clarke, Regional Employment Judge, Rosie Pahl, Personal Secretary to the Regional Employment Judge and Hugh Simkiss, Head of Civil, Family and Tribunals for Wales

The upcoming shipment to Ghana is being sent to four organizations and includes books donated by the judges at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Books being sorted and packed at the RCJ by ILBF volunteers

Most rewarding of all is receiving feedback once the books arrive.  Earlier in 2016, we shipped books to the Office of the Ombudsman in Sierra Leone. We were delighted to receive this feedback from the Office of the Ombudsman.

‘On behalf of the Hon. Justice Edmond Cowan the Ombudsman of Sierra Leone, and all the staff at the Office of the Ombudsman, I wish to thank the International Law Book Facility for the invaluable law reports, text books, legal dictionaries and other materials…The books will make a huge difference to our legal development and the manner in which we conduct our work.’ Lois Anita Kawa, Legal Officer, Office of the Ombudsman

Left to right: Daniel Cole, Director, Lois Anita Kawa, Legal Officer and Justice Edmond Cowan, the Ombudsman of Sierra Leone

Also in 2016, we were able to get books to Pakistan, despite logistical challenges. The Sarai Alamgir Bar Council were delighted to receive the books and news of that shipment will be posted here very soon.

The ILBF relies entirely on the support of the legal community: with donations of books, the governance of the charity, organizing shipments and funds.  With your continued support, we can reach even more organizations in 2017.

Katrina Crossley

Chief Executive, ILBF