A shopping centre in Fareham celebrated World Book Day on March 7, by launching a new book swap area.

Whiteley Shopping Centre's new initiative allows visitors to exchange books for free and promoting sustainability. So far, over 150 books have already been donated by locals and Whiteley's team for the project and readers are encouraged to either return the books or replace them with others to help continue the exchange.

The bookcase, donated by a local resident, is situated in Market Square and shoppers can currently find a selection of books, from rom-coms by Marian Keyes and Elizabeth Noble to thrillers by James Dashner and David Gemmell.

Mia Gordon, centre manager at Whiteley, said: “From our partnership with the National Literacy Trust through the Young Readers Programme, we know how important reading is to spark children’s imaginations. That’s why we’ve launched our book swap to make sure all in the community have access to a supply of books, regardless of cost.

“We hope this initiative will encourage visitors to recycle any unwanted books they might have and give them a second life for someone new to discover.”

The centre is also involved in the Young Readers Programme, an acclaimed initiative sponsored by Whiteley's owner, British Land and managed together with the National Literacy Trust, that encourages children to read beyond school.

For more about Whiteley, visit their website.