Most people know Dolly Parton for iconic hits like 9 to 5 or Islands in the Stream. Fewer realize that her proudest achievement, and the love letter to her father, was founding Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

In this episode of The Purpose Brief, James talks to Meg Fletcher, Regional Director for the North of England and Northern Ireland at the Dollywood Foundation.

Meg tells the story of how a localised book-gifting project started in Sevier County, Tennessee, by an internationally recognised singer has grown globally to post over 330 million free books to children under five.

We discuss the power of place-based giving, how local community partnerships make global impact possible, and why receiving a free book in the post every month transforms family dynamics during the cost of living crisis.

Plus, Meg reflects on meeting Dolly Parton, her favourite bluegrass “deep cuts”, and the enduring ethos behind one of her famous quotes: "Find out who you are and do it on purpose."

What you’ll learn

· The Father-Daughter Inspiration: How Dolly Parton's father, who never had the chance to learn to read or write, became the driving force behind the Imagination Library's creation in 1995.

· 330 Million Books & Counting: The global reach of the program across five countries, sending free, age-appropriate books every month to 3.5 million children.

· Relieving Cost-of-Living Pressures: Why free home-delivered books provide essential support to working families who face trade-offs between household bills and early learning resources.

· The Power of Place-Based Partnerships: Why the foundation relies on local authorities, volunteers, and community funding; from Nashville to Newcastle and North Yorkshire.

· Representation & Diversity in Children's Literature: How modern book curation fosters confidence and self-acceptance in young children (and why a 3-year-old chose to dress up as "herself" for World Book Day).

Come celebrate 'Give Like Dolly' Day with us!

LINKS:

The 25th September (9.25) marks the first annual Give Like Dolly Day, honouring Dolly Parton and her vision that all children grow up with access to books.

To celebrate #GiveLikeDollyDay - people can donate directly to their local Imagination Library Partner to help more children in their community receive books. To support locally visit https://donate.imaginationlibrary.com and select your local programme.

You can reach out to The Dollywood Foundation to explore if you would like to begin discussions about starting a local network info@imaginationlibrary.co.uk

Info on the Giving Day: https://www.dollyparton.com/news/the-dollywood-foundation-announces-give-like-dolly-day-on-september-25-encouraging-the-world-to-make-a-difference-in-a-childs-life

About the Imagination Library: https://imaginationlibrary.com/the-dollywood-foundation/ About the Purpose Brief by Resolute Purpose: https://www.thepurposebrief.org.uk/

E-mail James directly: hello@thepurposebrief.org.uk