Sarah, 16, Cork

Sarah’s idea aims to tackle the issues of boredom, mental health and loneliness. Not only that though, her idea is about connecting people and bringing joy into people’s lives, at a time when they may feel distant from their loved ones and friends. Her idea is for everyone across the country, but will especially help young people keep themselves active, and will help elderly people ward away loneliness and depression.

Sarah has a love and passion for reading, and for promoting its many benefits. She has even set up her own website, www.sarahsbookproject.com , to promote reading and share her love of it. She believes that now, more than ever, it is important for people to read.

Recognising that a lot of elderly people especially are lonely at the moment, Sarah thought that the gift of a book could really help them, just as much as it could help a young person to stay alert and occupied mentally. Reading has been proven to reduce stress, reduce the risk of developing alzheimers, and can help to improve ability across all school subjects. Sarah is motivated to share the gift of reading with others and to make a difference in the community.

Her idea is called Book Cloud from Home. It is building on the fundamentals of Book Cloud, a concept she designed and trademarked last year. Through Book Cloud From Home, households will receive a stamped envelope, and can use this to post a book to someone they think would benefit from it, for free. It is a simple idea, but can work to spread reading without people having to leave their homes, so is therefore extremely safe. Sarah has been in touch with An Post about her idea, and is looking into the funding required to run it.

Sarah’s hope is that her idea will spark a love of reading among many, and will help people pass the time in a fun yet beneficial way, as well as connecting families and friends and helping make sure nobody feels alone during this time.

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