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Dear Book Dash community
As we celebrate our return to Jo'burg at the Book Dash event today, and 10 years since Book Dash was founded, we also share the news that after close to 9 years with the organisation, Julia Norrish, our Executive Director, will step down from her role at the end of October. Under Julia’s leadership, Book Dash has grown into a vibrant organisation and community defined by creativity and innovation towards our founding vision: ‘Every child should own a hundred books by the age of five’.
Book Dash’s significant achievements over this period have been made possible by the quality of the people of the management team, and the unwavering support and creativity of our volunteers and partners. Together, we've published hundreds of beautiful, locally-created storybooks, and distributed millions of copies to children across the globe. Your involvement has been instrumental in making a lasting impact on literacy and early childhood development.
Julia says "It has been an honour to nurture Book Dash from its ambitious beginnings to the impactful organisation it is today. I am so incredibly proud of the positive change we have created. Not only in real terms of millions of books in the hands and homes of children, but in the mindsets of what can be done by thinking beyond constraints and what can be achieved when passionate, dedicated people work in the same direction. I have no doubt that the future of Book Dash is bright and call for increased investment in the work."
In the interim, Dorette Louw (longtime employee and current Director of Programmes and Operations), will step in as Acting ED. Dorette has been vital roleplayer in Book Dash’s leadership since 2018, collaborating very closely with Julia on strategy, partnerships and sustainability, and is well-positioned to take the reins. Her passion for publishing, education and social impact is inspiring, and Book Dash will undoubtedly continue to thrive under her watch.
Going forward, Book Dash will continue to create, translate and publish beautiful books. We’ll focus on growing print and distribution to partners across the country to increase early book ownership. Our strong internal systems and processes are designed for stability, and our relationships with key partners and donors are built on many years of high performance. There’s much more to achieve, and we plan to do so with the usual optimism, creativity and tenacity.
Please join us in wishing Julia all the best on her next adventures. Her passion and dedication have left an indelible mark on Book Dash, and we are deeply grateful for her years of service.
We'll share the job advert when our recruitment journey for the new Executive Director begins (and we encourage you to refer anyone who'd be great for this role).
Yours in books,
The Book Dash Team |
