There is no let-up in local appetites for reading books, as the success of the Rotary Club of Wānaka’s New Year book sale shows.

The sale ran for three days in early January and Rotary Club of Wānaka member Mike Elliot says it was hugely successful.

“The first day was absolutely manic,” Mike said. “We had people everywhere and three of us on the till just to keep things moving”.

This year the Rotary Club collaborated with the Upper Clutha Plunket to run the book sale, which will receive money raised from the event.

Mike said he thought the club would be able to donate around $7,000 to Upper Clutha Plunket.

“It’s a fantastic result,” Upper Clutha Plunket community service coordinator Sarah Ashford said.

“Anything we do for the community we fundraise ourselves, so this is of huge benefit to us to be able to help families in the area.”

Sarah said demand for Plunket’s services had grown significantly in recent years.

“You just need to look at all the housing that has blown up in the Upper Clutha area,” she said. 

“It is such a wonderful place for children to grow up and a safe place for children to grow up. It has been called a bit of a nappy valley in the last few years.”

Upper Clutha Plunket supports families and children under five in the community. 

Its services include providing ‘safe havens’ for families at events, and ‘the rooms’ at 51 Ardmore Street, which is a place where families can go at any time to get away from the hustle and bustle of home life, where they can feed, change children, and play.

The Rotary Club of Wānaka organises biannual book sales, one at New Year and the other in the July school holidays.

Anyone with books to donate to the rotary club can contact them here.

PHOTO: Wānaka App