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National Literacy Trust teams up with Angelina Ballerina author and Build-A-Bear Workshop® to launch story competition
3 Mar 2011
The National Literacy Trust is working with interactive entertainment retailer Build-A-Bear Workshop® to launch a nationwide storywriting competition on World Book Day today. The competition aims to encourage children to have fun with their writing, while developing essential literacy skills at the same time.
The beginning of a story has been written exclusively by the author of the popular Angelina Ballerina series, Katharine Holabird. Children aged between 5 and 11 are being challenged to write the rest of the story. The lucky winner will receive a party in-store for themselves and five friends as well as a school visit from Build-A-Bear Workshop® mascot Bearemy. As an added bonus for teachers they can access a free lesson plan, designed especially by experts at the National Literacy Trust so they can integrate the storywriting competition into their lessons.
Build-A-Bear Workshop supports many causes in the UK that help and support children to be the best they can be, and succeed and flourish in their lives.
Build-A-Bear Workshop has worked with the National Literacy Trust since 2007 and guests visiting any one of the 52 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in the UK can support the charity by purchasing a Turner Owl™ plush owl, for £15, which generates a donation of £1 to the charity. One in four children in the UK do not have books of their own. The donation from Turner Owl will contribute to the National Literacy Trust’s vital support of children from the most deprived communities.
The competition and extra support from Build-A-Bear Workshop comes at a crucial time, as the literacy skills of children in the UK has never been more under scrutiny. The recently released Primary School League tables found that 29% of 5 to 11 year olds are not reaching the writing standards appropriate for their age. Poor literacy is linked to poverty, unemployment, poor health and low aspirations and all children must develop the literacy skills they need to live a happy, fulfilling and successful life.
Author Katharine Holabird says:
“I’m delighted to support such a worthwhile cause and this great charity. The National Literacy Trust does fantastic work inspiring children to develop their literacy skills and I hope thousands of children will help me to finish my adventure tale. I can’t wait to read the entries!”
Judith Parke, Head of Development at the National Literacy Trust says:
“This competition gives children the chance to feel like a real-life author and the prize kindly donated by Build-A-Bear Workshop is just great! We are very grateful to Build-A-Bear Workshop for their support, and as well as purchasing Turner Owl we are encouraging everyone, from children to teachers, to support our work. You can arrange book swaps at home or in your school or even take part in individual challenges, from fun runs to taking a vow of silence for an entire day.”
Ends
The overall winner will receive a party in a Build-A-Bear Workshop® for themselves and five friends as well as a story-reading visit from Bearamy at their school at a time agreed between the local Build-A-Bear Workshop® store and the participating school. Two runners up will receive a Turner Owl plus a £15 voucher to spend at Build-A-Bear Workshop®.
If you’re a teacher of students aged 5 to 11 and would like to enter them in the competition and access the free lesson plan, please go to http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/build-a-bear for further information.
For more information about the National Literacy Trust, please contact Anna Lindsay, Public Relations Officer on 020 7820 6256 or email Anna.Lindsay@literacytrust.org.uk.
For more information about Build-A-Bear please contact Sasha Mattus at Publicasity smattus@publicasity.co.uk or 0207 632 2454.
Notes to Editors
1. About the National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that transforms lives through literacy. We believe that society will only be fair when everyone has the literacy skills they need to communicate, to fulfil their potential and to contribute more to society. We campaign to improve public understanding of the vital importance of literacy, as well as delivering projects and working in partnership to reach those most in need of support.
To help us transform lives through literacy, you can make a donation or support our work. To find out how visit http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/support
National Literacy Trust is a registered charity no. 1116260, and a company limited by guarantee, no. 5836486. Registered in England and Wales. Registered address: 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL. Tel: 020 7587 1842
2. About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Founded in St. Louis in 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop is the leader in interactive retail; The company currently operates 51 company-owned Build-A-Bear Workshop® stores in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, including six in Scotland, one in Wales, one in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic of Ireland. Worldwide the company and its franchisees operate more than 400 stores, including company-owned stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and France, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and Mexico. Build-A-Bear Workshop extends its in-store interactive experience online with its award winning virtual world Web site at buildabearville.com®. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $394.4 million in fiscal 2009. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.buildabear.co.uk.
Parental permission may be required to access buildabearville.com. Visit buildabearville.com for details.
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TRADEMARKS
We would like to thank you for your interest in covering our business. As you write your story, we would ask that you use our full Name: Build‑A‑Bear Workshop® and that when referencing the process of making stuffed animals you use the word “make” not “build.”
Build‑A‑Bear Workshop is our well-known trade name and our registered trademark of Build‑A‑Bear Retail Management, Inc. Build‑A‑Bear Workshop® should only be used in capital letters to refer to our products and services and should not be used as a verb.
