News: Grimm & Co launches crowdfunder campaign as opening nears
Literacy charity, Grimm & Co, has launched a new crowdfunding campaign as it prepares to open its new Emporium of Stories in Rotherham town centre.
Following the purchase of a former church building on Ship Hill in 2020 thanks to support from an Arts Council England small capital grant, Grimm & Co were looking to proceed with the renovation and refurbishment work when lockdown hit.
The closure of the story centre and magical shop on Doncaster Gate, the diversion of promised funds and the enforced cancellation of fundraising events, meant that plans for the building were put on hold and all efforts concentrated on taking their creative delivery to children and young people online and directly into communities.
The charity says that it is now "incredibly close to being able to open our wonderful new space to the public."
An official Grand Opening is scheduled for February 2024.
Leading design experts at Lumsden Design have been brought in to make its new imaginative space a reality.
Lumsden designs retail for destinations – cultural, entertainment and visitor attractions worldwide, including for The British Museum and Harry Potter retail destinations such as Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
With support from Codsteaks Ltd and Cronin, Lumsden and Grimm & Co are creating an Emporium of Stories on Ship Hill that will include three Writer’s Pad spaces, each with its own individual design and feeling. These will be accessed through secret doors, "with an air of wonder and amazement."
The spaces can be used in many different ways, whether we are hosting a school for a story-making workshop, young families enjoying sensory play, a group of teenagers discussing the charity’s projects, a corporate breakfast event, or a spoken word poetry performance.
The café, also known as The Feastery, includes story-themed activities for young people to enjoy and where you can catch up with friends, relax with a good book, or simply have a moment of peace in this cozy, magical space.
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The apothecary is an integral part of raising money for the charity. It is a shop for magical beings to buy their supplies, "but humans are welcome too."
Inspired by writer Dave Eggers, who helped to open 826 Valencia in San Francisco in 2002, it has spawned similar organisations across the globe where in each case, the shop is a façade, and although they sell products, like any other, it is all part of creating a fantastical destination to inspire children to work without knowing they are working, and increase participation in literacy projects through a creative writing and mentoring centre.
The charity, which has worked with over 29,000 children and young people, in school story-making sessions, out of school clubs and family learning sessions, since opening in 2016, is now looking to raise funds so that it can open with a bang.
£25,000 is the target, which is needed so that the charity can put on a wide range of creative sessions this academic year. The aim is to welcome over 3,300 school children to the new Emporium of Stories in the 2023/24 academic year and reach the target of working with 4,000 children and young people.
Deborah Bullivant, founding chief exec at Grimm & Co, said: "Grimm & Co is a charity and we're all about children's literacies, but not just reading and writing, much more than that. We're about resilience, confidence and building children's ability to make meaning of the world around them.
"We are Yorkshire-wide, we're going to work with children right across Yorkshire, but everyone will be able to come here, wherever you're from you'll be able to come and get something to eat in our Feastery, buy something fantastic from our shop, and it's going to be open very soon!
"We're now launching a crowdfunder so that you can be a part of this chapter. You could be in this chapter, you could have your name literally in lights! We are about to do the rest of the building. It's not quite ready yet and this is where you can be part of this journey.
"So please, please, please support our crowdfunder. There's lots of ways you can do that - have a look at the list, small or large, it's up to you, but what that will do is help us to do the charitable work that we do. Thank you so much."
Crowdfunding is a different way to raise money. Rewards are on offer for different levels of donations by supporters of a project or idea. In this case rewards range from receiving a pack of edible magic beans, to paying for a storymaking session for a class of 30, right up to sponsoring a secret door or the beanstalk slide.
Find out more at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-our-story
Grimm & Co website
Images: Grimm & Co / Lumsden
Following the purchase of a former church building on Ship Hill in 2020 thanks to support from an Arts Council England small capital grant, Grimm & Co were looking to proceed with the renovation and refurbishment work when lockdown hit.
The closure of the story centre and magical shop on Doncaster Gate, the diversion of promised funds and the enforced cancellation of fundraising events, meant that plans for the building were put on hold and all efforts concentrated on taking their creative delivery to children and young people online and directly into communities.
The charity says that it is now "incredibly close to being able to open our wonderful new space to the public."
An official Grand Opening is scheduled for February 2024.
Leading design experts at Lumsden Design have been brought in to make its new imaginative space a reality.
Lumsden designs retail for destinations – cultural, entertainment and visitor attractions worldwide, including for The British Museum and Harry Potter retail destinations such as Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
With support from Codsteaks Ltd and Cronin, Lumsden and Grimm & Co are creating an Emporium of Stories on Ship Hill that will include three Writer’s Pad spaces, each with its own individual design and feeling. These will be accessed through secret doors, "with an air of wonder and amazement."
The spaces can be used in many different ways, whether we are hosting a school for a story-making workshop, young families enjoying sensory play, a group of teenagers discussing the charity’s projects, a corporate breakfast event, or a spoken word poetry performance.
The café, also known as The Feastery, includes story-themed activities for young people to enjoy and where you can catch up with friends, relax with a good book, or simply have a moment of peace in this cozy, magical space.
Advertisement
The apothecary is an integral part of raising money for the charity. It is a shop for magical beings to buy their supplies, "but humans are welcome too."
Inspired by writer Dave Eggers, who helped to open 826 Valencia in San Francisco in 2002, it has spawned similar organisations across the globe where in each case, the shop is a façade, and although they sell products, like any other, it is all part of creating a fantastical destination to inspire children to work without knowing they are working, and increase participation in literacy projects through a creative writing and mentoring centre.
The charity, which has worked with over 29,000 children and young people, in school story-making sessions, out of school clubs and family learning sessions, since opening in 2016, is now looking to raise funds so that it can open with a bang.
£25,000 is the target, which is needed so that the charity can put on a wide range of creative sessions this academic year. The aim is to welcome over 3,300 school children to the new Emporium of Stories in the 2023/24 academic year and reach the target of working with 4,000 children and young people.
"We are Yorkshire-wide, we're going to work with children right across Yorkshire, but everyone will be able to come here, wherever you're from you'll be able to come and get something to eat in our Feastery, buy something fantastic from our shop, and it's going to be open very soon!
"We're now launching a crowdfunder so that you can be a part of this chapter. You could be in this chapter, you could have your name literally in lights! We are about to do the rest of the building. It's not quite ready yet and this is where you can be part of this journey.
"So please, please, please support our crowdfunder. There's lots of ways you can do that - have a look at the list, small or large, it's up to you, but what that will do is help us to do the charitable work that we do. Thank you so much."
Find out more at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-our-story
Grimm & Co website
Images: Grimm & Co / Lumsden
1 comments:
Good luck to them. They deserve it
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