Georgina Atwell, the founder of Toppsta, shares the story behind the inspiring Oxfordshire start up, and how the eScalate programme has helped her to gain the support, inspiration and knowledge to keep the thriving. >>
How did Toppsta start?
Back in 2014 as a busy Mum to two young children, I left my full-time job at Apple because I wanted to set up an online reading community for children’s books in the UK. I’d worked in publishing for more than a decade and was fortunate enough to have worked with many of the key children’s publishers. We started on Facebook where we built up a community of more than 28,000 followers sharing our favourite books and then launched our website, where we now get 300,000 visitors every month. In the early days it was just me working from the kitchen table. Now we’re fortunate enough to have a team of booklovers helping with our social media, website and more.
What is the purpose and vision of Toppsta?
I was frustrated at how many book reviews for children’s books were from adults and focused on ‘worthy’ books and books from many decades ago. I really felt it was putting children off reading and if we could connect a child with a fun and engaging book, they would be more encouraged to read. I decided what was missing was a website where:
- Children could recommend books to each other, connecting readers from all walks of life
- Where all books and opinions were valid – letting children read books they enjoy and not just books that adults think they *should* be reading
- Where everyone in the UK could get access to high quality children’s books, no matter where they lived or what their background was, through our free book giveaways
What support did you receive from eScalate and how has it helped you?
I have been fortunate enough to receive support from across eScalate’s programme. I’ve attended events and been inspired by peoples’ journeys; I’ve received insightful advice on where to focus and how to maximise my time; I’ve received grants which allowed us to keep going during covid and I have forged life-long friendships with others on a similar journey, sharing advice and offering support along the way.
What are the most rewarding moments you’ve had with Toppsta in Oxfordshire?
One of my favourite moments was the lovely relationship we developed with Windale School in Blackbird Leys. We provided them with free reading records for their pupils and the publicity helped them to secure a grant to be able to buy more books for their new library.
What are your plans for the future of Toppsta?
I would love to develop a plan to encourage Oxfordshire businesses to support local schools with budget to buy new books. Sadly, there is no Ofsted requirement to have a school library and with the current economic crisis, books and librarians are often the first to be cut. If a school only has old and tired books, it is unlikely to encourage any child to read, let alone one who might be a reluctant reader or who lacks encouragement or resources to read at home. In the meantime, we’re developing our video capabilities on Instagram and TikTok, which will help us reach more families across the UK in those areas where we’re needed most.
