A volunteer-run community bookshop in Totnes has begun 2026 on a high, after securing its future at Castle Street and reporting a record year of trading that has enabled it to give thousands of pounds back to local schools, the library and the arts.

Castle Books, based at 4 Castle Street, is run entirely by volunteers and operates as a Community Interest Company, reinvesting its profits into promoting reading, writing and literary activity across the town.

Following its strong trading performance in 2025, the bookshop has awarded £1,000 grants to Totnes St John’s C of E Primary School and The Grove School to support the purchase of books and other literacy resources.

Rachel Patterson, Headteacher at Totnes St John’s Primary School, said: “Castle Books’ £1,000 donation was the best possible Christmas present for our children. We are in the process of ordering a range of texts that will educate, inspire and support every child in our school; to say that we are incredibly grateful is an understatement.”

The Grove School’s Literacy Head, Vikki Drew, said the funding would support a new quiet reading space for pupils, helping to foster a love of reading.

Totnes Library, a long-standing recipient of Castle Books’ funding, also received £1,000. Library Supervisor Rosie Johnson said the donation would help fund improvements including a refreshed children’s library space.

The Totnes Pop-Up Poetry Shop received £300 to support a second event on Totnes High Street later this month, featuring free writing workshops, poetry performances and personalised poems.

Castle Books has operated as a community bookshop since 2016, although the site has housed a second-hand bookshop for more than 50 years. After two years of uncertainty while the freehold of the building was for sale, the renewal of its lease has now secured the shop’s future.

The bookshop’s volunteers say the milestone demonstrates what can be achieved when a community comes together to support local culture and literacy.