All images: Students from Bygrove School with Let's Craft pack. Photo Kingsley Koranteng.

The Crafts Council has launched its largest national fundraising appeal to date – Let’s Craft - with the aim of securing £100,000 to distribute 10,000 art packs to children across England before schools go back in September. The packs provide children with a creative outlet which supports wellbeing and effective home-learning, which might otherwise be unavailable to them. The packs contain basic arts materials and activities that require no digital resources/Wi-Fi network, no supervision or extra supporting materials. Each pack costs £10 and contents include watercolours, paint brushes, colouring pencils and pens, a glue stick and sketchbook.

Over 20 million people are now crafting and have used the enforced lockdown to re-establish their passion for creativity. However, the change in routine, closure of schools and lack of social interaction has had a huge impact on children throughout the country. Many are struggling to cope with a new constricted reality and have missed out on vital learning resources and creative stimulation during their time out of the classroom.

There are currently more than 1.2 million children in the UK who receive free school meals, (194,000 of these in London), and 78,000 Looked After children in England. Increasing numbers of families survive on little income and rely on charities for access to shelter and food. These children may not have access to basic art materials while at home. Rosy Greenlees, Executive Director, Crafts Council said, “We hope that by providing these packs we can provide vulnerable children with the chance to do something creative and make something they can be proud of. We want to ensure that every child is able to express themselves and we know that making is a great way to do that.”

To support the campaign text CRAFT to 70085 to donate £10 or donate online at www.bit.ly/LetsCraft     

Share the campaign on social media using the hashtag #letscraft and tag @craftscouncil on Instagram and @CraftsCouncilUK on Twitter and Facebook.