Boxes of Delight a class idea for pupils
CAMPAIGN’S BID TO TAKE MUSEUM PIECES INTO SCHOOLS
A FUNDRAISING campaign is under way to bring museum treats into the classroom for youngsters who have been missing out on cultural visits due to the pandemic.
Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM) is looking for supporters between now and Monday to help it supply what it calls Boxes of Delights to be enjoyed by schools in some of the most deprived areas around Newcastle.
The extension of its loans programme means pupils who have been denied the traditional school trips to local venues due to lockdown and ongoing restrictions will have free access to a variety of objects on various themes such as the Vikings, the Romans, the Second World War and vintage toys. The selection of available boxes, ranging from pre-history to the 1990s and containing supporting information alongside costumes and items to handle, are out to ensure plenty of fun, hands-on learning. TWAM hopes to raise £5,000 in December when – for one week only – it will be able to receive match-funding for every £1 donated by the public.
The pledge to double donations comes from the UK match-funding online campaign The Big Give and will last until noon on December 8.
TWAM sees its Boxes of Delights as a vital opportunity to enable teachers “to take the museum into the classroom”, saying an estimated 60,000 children have missed out on lifeenhancing school museum visits as a result of the pandemic.
Learning and engagement manager Clare Smith said: “We have one week to get our donations doubled thanks to the Big Give to achieve our target of £5,000.”
She said the Boxes of Delight stimulate curiosity and conversation about history and generate conversation. She added: “Pupils really benefit from being able to bring stories to life through connecting with objects which reflect the Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums collections and their own region’s heritage, particularly when they have limited access to their local museums.”
The Boxes of Delights is a subscription service. However, the money raised is to cover an annual membership to 10 schools around the West End which do not have the funds to subscribe and are not able to visit museums.
We have one week to get our donations doubled thanks to the Big Give to achieve our target of £5,000 Claire Smith