We are thrilled to announce that First Class Supply will continue their exclusive education sponsorship with Seven Stories - The National Centre for Children's Books, providing invaluable support helping us to deliver regular outreach work in schools and to continue to broaden engagement with children in the region.
The sponsorship will enable Whitley Bay-based First Class Supply, one of the fastest growing independent teaching supply agencies in the North East, to continue to offer a range of free activities to its partner schools. These will range from sessions in schools and at Seven Stories, fantastic experience days, interactive workshops and even CPD for teachers.
First Class Supply launched its partnership with Seven Stories in October last year with an activity that was enjoyed by 57 pupils from White Mere Primary School in Gateshead. Pupils took part in a Dear Fairy Godmother session, where they explored well-known fairy tale characters before creating their own mixed-up fairy tale.
Since then, hundreds of local school children have benefitted from the sponsorship, enjoying Authors into Schools sessions, Poetry Roadshows, visits to Seven Stories and Reading for Pleasure workshops.
First Class Supply are genuinely committed to making a contribution to the local community, regularly engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and enhancing the opportunities available to school children in the North East.
Lesley Robinson, one of the Directors at First Class Supply said: "We are delighted to enter into our second year of sponsorship with Seven Stories. Through our ongoing partnership we will be able to continue to offer our valued user schools a wide range of exciting benefits free of charge. We are extremely proud to be the exclusive partners of this fantastic initiative and we are very excited about the year ahead."
Seven Stories’ Learning & Participation Director, Paul Frost, said: “As a team and as an organisation we are thrilled that First Class Supply are continuing to sponsor the Seven Stories’ Learning Programme. The Learning and Participation Team work with schools, children and families to instil a love of reading for pleasure and help raise standards across the region and beyond. We’d like to extend our thanks and gratitude to all at First Class Supply who believe in Seven Stories.”
Sponsorship Contact: Laura Barrett, Fundraising and Development Coordinator E: laura.barrett@sevenstories.org.uk
For more information about First Class Supply, visit their website www.firstclasssupply.co.uk
For more information about Seven Stories’ education programme visit www.sevenstories.org.uk/learning
Seven Stories is The National Centre for Children’s Books – the only place in Britain dedicated to saving, celebrating and sharing our rich literary heritage for children.
Seven Stories’ home is a carefully converted listed warehouse in Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England. The centre opened in 2005 and visitors can explore seven floors of galleries, creative spaces, a specialist children’s bookshop and a café. It strives to encourage people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to enjoy a lifetime of reading for pleasure through inventive and immersive exhibitions and lively events and learning programmes.
• Seven Stories has built a comprehensive children’s literature archive from the 1930s to the present day. It collects all that goes into the making of a book – first scribbles, dummy books, roughs, final artwork, letters and correspondence, drafts and finished manuscript. The work of over 200 British authors and illustrators, including Judith Kerr, Enid Blyton, Philip Pullman and David Almond is cared for in our Collection – and it is still growing.
• Over 80,000 people visit us every year, including 12,000 visits from school children. In addition, Seven Stories works with children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds through outreach and participation work. In 2013/14 over 18,000 children and carers took part in activities to build book and story sharing confidence and enjoyment. Since 2005 over 650,000 people have visited Seven Stories.
• Seven Stories is part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio and is an accredited museum with National status, recognising the national and international significance of its collections and the quality of the work in sharing these treasures through its exhibitions and its public and learning programmes.