We’re delighted to be working with WHSmith to distribute 10,000 stationery packs bursting with creative writing tools across our Literacy Hubs this summer.
The generous donation means that thousands of children in 14 communities across the UK will be given brand new pencil cases, pens and notebooks to help summertime writing and their transition back to school in September.
Each of our Literacy Hubs have done something unique with the donation to make sure it supports the families and children who need it the most. The bundles have been donated through food banks in Nottingham, sent out alongside activity packs by family and healthcare professionals in the Black Country and distributed in partnership with local schools in Swindon – and that’s just three examples!
This initiative continues WHSmith’s long-standing partnership with the National Literacy Trust, as the retailer has supported our mission to transform children and young people’s lives through literacy for more than 15 years.
The donation comes at an important time, as our recent research shows that more children and young people have been expressing themselves through creative writing in print during lockdown. A quarter (25.9%) of children have written more in a diary or journal, around a fifth have written more letters (21.5%) and short stories (19%) and one in eight have penned more song lyrics (12.5%). The increase had a profoundly positive effect on wellbeing, as two in five (41.3%) children said writing during lockdown made them feel better.
For families looking for fun and engaging writing activities to do with their children this summer, we have an excellent selection on our Family Zone and Zone In pages. Whether it’s a guide to writing your own adventure video game or tips on how to read and explore The Very Hungry Caterpillar, we’ve got a huge range of ideas for anyone who, thanks to WHSmith, wants to put pen to paper.