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Coronavirus Statement October 2020
Passion for Learning remains committed to supporting children who were impacted by school closures as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. With the fantastic support of our funders:
- Steve Morgan Foundation
- Williams Family Foundation,
- Westminster Foundation,
- Cheshire West and Chester Council
- the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire David Keane
- Cheshire Community Foundation
- The National Lottery #CommunitiesCan
we have been providing resources for children and families to use safely at home while schools were closed. Now that schools have reopened, this project has been paused and we are focusing our attention on supporting children through our 1:1 volunteers and Enrichment Clubs.
If you have been invited by a member of the Passion for Learning team to request resources, you can still use the link to contact us.
The short film below gives a light hearted insight into our delivery operations!
We remain indebted to our wonderful volunteers, who are beginning to return to supporting children in schools for 1:1 sessions and at our Enrichment Clubs. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please get in touch. We are actively seeking new volunteers in all the areas we support, especially Knutsford.
My heartfelt thanks and best wishes to you all,
Diane x
PASSION FOR LEARNING
Our Summer Discoveries project introduced a range of interactive activities for families to enjoy, with fun films online to accompany the activities provided by our partners at Storyhouse https://www.storyhouse.com/pfl-play-scheme
We loved seeing the children’s enjoyment and creativity in response to the resources we provided. Please take a look at the films for inspiring ideas to try at home We’re always happy to see your photos, you can email them to us if you’d like to share how you get on at home.
If you missed us on BBC Radio 2 for Children in Need day – Friday 15th November – then here’s the audio file of the songs we chose and the children speaking about what they think of our Enrichment Clubs.
Hear from the children we work with and the importance of the work we do: #changingyounglives #childrenineed2019 #pudseybear
We are now enrolled with Amazon’s Smile Programme, meaning that by selecting to support our charity the next time you shop on Amazon, we will receive a donation, free of charge to you. Click on the link below to be taken to the right page. Thank you for your support – this means such a lot!
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1181279-0
Our Story
Passion for Learning was founded in 2011 with the intention of recruiting adults from all walks of life who could bring their experiences, enthusiasm and skills to children struggling to read and learn. Many children simply do not have the benefit of the enriching experiences that make learning fun. Limited opportunities and little knowledge of the wonders of the world in which they live mean that too many young people lack ambition and aspiration. Understanding individual children’s motivations and the barriers that they have to overcome to learn and achieve is the starting point for the work that we do. Within the community at large there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of men and women who have the time and the inclination to enrich these children’s lives and open their eyes and doors to a brighter future. They help to introduce children to books that they want to read as well as games and activities that enable them to learn as they play.
In 2011 we started with just one school, six volunteers and 18 children. Our first volunteer meeting was held around one table. Just six years later we have over 130 volunteers working with over 400 children and our meetings have outgrown some of Chester’s larger venues.
What We Do
We recruit people from our schools’ own communities willing and able to give around 3 hours a week to work with the children. Once trained our volunteers work one to one with the same three children every week and for up to a year or even more. Each session and every relationship is unique. In addition to providing exciting books that the child wants to read and use, our sessions draw on the skills and interests of both the volunteer and the child. Whilst one child might be constructing a 3D jigsaw, another might be learning a new game or preparing a collage. The only thing that is common to every single session is the sense of fun and the commitment to giving each child the ‘special time’ that they value so much.
As our organisation has evolved, we now offer unique opportunities to children through the partnerships we have with many businesses and organisations in our community. The film below highlights a trip we organised for children from our Chester Arts Enrichment Club to the offices of their sponsor, Sykes Cottages. This visit was unlike anything the children had experienced before, giving them an insight into the head office of this global business, including the different skills and careers of their diverse team. Without exaggeration, everyone involved loved this experience and we are so grateful to Sykes for organising this for us.
For#NationalVolunteersWeek 2020 we created this newsletter for volunteers to find out what’s been happening for us in recent weeks. This and the short film below highlight how much we value our wonderful volunteers and the support they continue to provide for the children who are most impacted by school closures at this challenging time.
National Volunteers Week thank you film
Upcoming Events
As a small charity we rely on the generous support of funders and businesses to enable us to make a difference to children in our local communities. If you would like to contribute towards our work by making a regular donation, we would be hugely grateful. Thank you for your support.
Your donation will help Passion for Learning’s work to support children to achieve their full potential. Thank you for your contribution.