Schoolfriend 'Christmas Tree of Wishes' Donated to Children's Art Gallery
19 November 2007 - Schoolfriend etc, the UK's largest charitable childcare provider, has created a 'Christmas Tree of Wishes' with help from children attending its after-school clubs in schools across the country.
Children were asked to write down their wish for Christmas and every wish was submitted for inclusion on the Schoolfriend Christmas Tree of Wishes. The tree has been donated to The London International Gallery of Children's Art (LIGCA) in the 02 Centre, London, NW3, where it will remain until after Christmas. LIGCA will provide art materials for all child visitors so that they can add their own special wishes to the tree.
Schoolfriend etc embarked on the initiative in order to involve children from across the country in a creative and inclusive activity in the build-up to the Christmas period. The image of the Schoolfriend Christmas Tree of Wishes will also be used on the Schoolfriend Christmas cards which are sent out to over 1000 people. The donation of the tree to LIGCA means that even more children can contribute to the decoration of an original Christmas Tree and its unique composition is something that the charity wanted to share with the general public.
Amanda Argent, CEO for Schoolfriend etc, commented:
"We are delighted with the Schoolfriend Christmas Tree of Wishes and hope that many more child visitors to the gallery will add to the tree with their own unique wishes. Our thanks go to LIGCA for their support of this initiative. Children attending our clubs have greatly enjoyed taking part in this project and we look forward to seeing the image on our forthcoming Christmas cards."
Examples of wishes submitted for the tree include:
"I wish for a dream machine" Rory, Age 10, Severne Primary School, Birmingham
"I wish I had a pet giraffe" Jaz, Age 9, St Patrick's Primary School, Essex
"I wish to be a super-star" Farrin, Age 5, Holdbrook Primary School, Waltham Cross
"In 2008, my wish is to fly" Natasha, Age 6, Our Lady of St Josephs Primary School, Hackney, London
"I wish for my family to be happy" Neha, Age 4, Severne Primary School, Birmingham
Miriam Leach, Director for LIGCA, said:
"The Gallery is proud to work with Schoolfriend etc on this project and display the Schoolfriend Christmas Tree of Wishes. We hope that this is the first of many collaborations. Visitors to the Gallery are encouraged to fulfill as many of the children's Christmas wishes as possible. In addition, we also hope that our partnership encourages other organisations to consider similar projects with LIGCA."
The Schoolfriend Christmas Tree of Wishes rounds off an action packed year for the Schoolfriend activities team which has kept the children busy and stimulated with fun-days, sports events, carnivals, gardening projects and many other exciting events throughout 2007. The team is looking forward to helping some of the children's wishes come true with an even more exciting and creative programme for 2008.
-ENDS-
NOTES TO EDITORS:
SCHOOLFRIEND ETC:
www.schoolfriendetc.org
• Schoolfriend etc provides high quality, affordable childcare in schools across the UK. It has been running after-school, breakfast and holiday clubs since 2003 and is now the largest charitable provider of childcare in the country.
• It is currently working with 2000 primary schools either in existing or soon-to-open clubs and operates in 92 out of the 150 local authorities.
• Schoolfriend etc was founded in 2002 by Amanda and Stephen Argent. Their vision was to utilise school facilities after 3.30pm by opening up schools to working parents and their children. From the outset, Schoolfriend etc was designed to make a positive impact on both children's lives and the local community.
• Schoolfriend Clubs assist schools in fulfilling the Government's Extended Schools Agenda - by 2010 every school needs to provide care from 8am to 6pm - and the Every Child Matters programme by offering out of school provision on school premises without the burden of the schools having any additional cost or administration.
• Schoolfriend Clubs are fully approved by Ofsted and have a high adult to child ratio that allows staff to spend a lot of individual time with each child.
LIGCA:
www.ligca.org
• The London International Gallery of Children's Art (LIGCA) is devoted to encouraging the creativity of children and to promoting international understanding through cultural exchange. Our hope is to open the eyes of visitors to the integrity and power of children's art.
• The Gallery is open from 4-6pm Tue-Thurs, 12-6pm Fri-Sun, closed Mon. Visiting the Gallery is free, but donations are highly appreciated. Art materials are always available to create your own work of art in response to the exhibition.
