A Wirral social enterprise founder has scooped two awards for her work bridging the gap in children’s education. Natalie Reeves Billing DL won Woman of the Year at the Downtown In Business Awards, while her organisation, Builder Book (a CIC), won the Improving Education and Learning Award at the Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards.
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Through Builder Book, Natalie, her co-founder Jude Lennon, and the team deliver the ‘Builder Book’ project, which puts creative and interactive literacy boxes into the hands of children and families. The boxes encourage reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills and actively promote family time. Founded in 2019, Builder Book has delivered around 50,000 resource boxes and packs, thousands of workshops and 250,000 books to children.
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Her CIC has raised more than £500,000 through sponsorship, funding, commercial work and in-kind donations for children’s literacy. In addition to boxes and packs, they have also delivered interactive den building workshops to thousands of children in schools, at holiday play schemes, and community events. The workshops promote teamwork, problem-solving, communication, creativity, role play, literacy and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths).
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Through Builder Book, countless children have excelled, and many have exhibited their art in local museums, galleries and iconic buildings. Natalie is also known for her work as an author of 12 published children’s books, focusing on emotions and alternative perspectives, helping families to navigate complex emotional themes. Her commitment to bridging the gap in children’s education is driven by the lack of opportunities she and her friends had as children.
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Natalie explained: “I was raised in a single-parent family in South Liverpool, and we didn’t have much, but we made do. I got into a ‘good’ school and was one of few children on free school meals there — having to queue separately for my lunch and wearing the one style of coat and shoes allotted to those on benefits. I desperately wanted to be a singer and songwriter, even as a tiny tot. I won a carol competition on BBC Radio Merseyside when I was about 8, which made me understand that I could be seen and celebrated and maybe even be something in this world. When I left school, I went to Los Angeles to pursue fame as the front person in a rock band.”
She continued: “When I returned from the US, without my record deal and faced with having to retrain and think up a new future, I trialled a few different things career-wise, admin, recycling, import and export, but my heart wasn’t really in it. It wasn’t until I started using my writing again that I began to feel more like myself. Writing stories and poems acted as catharsis, returning me to my childhood and unearthing my feelings of inadequacy and frustration.”
“When my children came along, these stories began to include their journeys, discoveries, and feelings. I understood what a powerful tool storytelling is in helping to open up conversations, bind generations together, and explore the innermost workings of our minds. I wanted kids to feel more comfortable in their skin than I had been in mine and to explore who they are and celebrate their brilliant uniqueness. I went on writing courses and retreats and was inducted into the Golden Egg Writing Academy, then set out to help children through unique and inspiring books.”
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Natalie’s books for children became a big hit, and in 2019, she took things further in bridging the gap by setting up Builder Book. She has since become a fellow of the School of Social Entrepreneurs, a member of the 2023 American Express Leadership Academy with Common Purpose and a founding member of the Female Forum Merseyside.
In 2023, the Prime Minister awarded her and Jude a cross-party award for services to literacy in recognition of their work for disadvantaged children across the Liverpool City Region through the Builder Book project.
Natalie is also working on an inclusive innovation project for primary schoolers called ‘The Animates’ alongside Connected Places Catapult, The Knowledge Quarter and Liverpool Combined Authority Skills Hub. This will become an interactive learning library of innovation and emerging jobs and skills, a first look at the world of work, providing kids with ‘wow’ moments as they explore dream careers which require their own bespoke skills and passions.
Natalie has recently become an education link governor of Everton Free School. At the end of 2023, she was commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside by the Lord Lieutenant, further supporting her passion for working within the community. These two latest awards are a testament to her tireless work educating and inspiring little ones.
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Natalie summarised: “It is humbling to receive two prestigious awards in the space of just a week, both for me and my creative and strategic teams. We work hard to educate, empower and inspire children — getting them to think creatively, thinking about skills and future jobs, and giving them opportunities.”
She continued: “Our next Builder Book project aims to reach and engage with more corporate sponsors to help us expand and reach more children in vulnerable areas. We’ll be doing this via our latest Sustainability-themed project, Planet Pack-River of Life 2026, a year-long programme for local kids. This includes events, delivery of thousands of packs, workshops, family fun days, children’s arts and design exhibitions, and a prizegiving celebration.“
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A Wirral social enterprise founder has scooped two awards for her work bridging the gap in children’s education. Natalie Reeves Billing DL won Woman of the Year at the Downtown In Business Awards, while her organisation, Builder Book (a CIC), won the Improving Education and Learning Award at the Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards.
Natalie Reeves-Billing / Builder Book & Split Perspectivez CIC
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