Coram Newsletter - Spring 2020

Spring 2020

It’s story time...

In this issue: Hear from a Coram Beanstalk Reading Helper, Tomorrow’s Achievers is getting techie and much more...

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity and has been supporting vulnerable children for over 280 years.

We provide children with the best possible chance in life by finding them a home, advocating for their rights, and developing their skills.

What’s going on Thank you!

As part of our Christmas Appeal we raised over £154,000 (and counting!)

Thanks to your generous support, we will be able to help homeless young people at their most vulnerable. We could not have done it without you!

The Bard comes to Coram We are pleased to announce that Shakespeare Schools Foundation will be joining the Coram Group of charities in April. Joining the Group will enable the pooling of resources, expertise and support services to make a positive difference for more children.

We look forward to working together and making a life-changing impact.

Find out more about Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation at shakespeareschools.org

Meet AdvoCat! Coram Voice launched AdvoCat, an everyday superhero for children aged 11 and under that helps them understand what an advocate can do for them. Thanks to Coram Voice’s advocacy helpline, children can access an advocate that can help them understand their rights, make sure their voice is heard and give them a say on different aspects of their lives.

Find out more about AdvoCat at coramvoice.org.uk

Minister Michelle Donelan visits Coram The Children and Families Minister Michelle Donelan visited Coram to discover how our regional adoption agency, Coram Ambitious for Adoption, is working to find families many children awaiting for adoption. Her visit was on the same day she sent a letter to all directors of children’s services stating that adoption is now a priority for local authorities.

Read more about this story at coram.org.uk

The Very Group Coram Beanstalk have been voted The Very Group’s new charity partner for 2020-21. Together we aim to raise £600,000 to support 40,000 children through increasing one-to-one reading support and developing digital technology and training materials to support volunteer reading helpers.

Read more about the partnership at coram.org.uk

Not just a little jump, a giant leap Mandy Norman

If you’ve ever taught someone how to ride a bike, you’ll know when they are ready for you to let go.

As a reading helper volunteer with Coram Beanstalk this couldn’t be truer. This was the case with Alice*. When we first started reading together she was at the end of year 4. She loved Roald Dahl and decided to read one of his shorter and simpler stories, The Twits.

Similarly to when you learn to ride a bike, Alice was lacking confidence when it came to reading. You are doing multiple things when you first begin to read – decoding the words and trying to understand the meaning.

Alice would read too quickly and

miss words and so wouldn’t always grasp the meaning. I would have to slow her down and encourage her to go one step at a time.

A few months later, I noticed Alice was a little more confident and she looked forward to reading. She had started to understand what she was reading and having lots of fun trying to guess what would happen next. Often she was right!

And then in the new year I noticed not just a little jump, but a giant leap. Alice decided to bring the book I Am Malala. I was interested to see how she would approach it.

Alice began by wanting to look at the photos and the captions, but then we read a few pages from the introduction. We would stop every so often so I could ask her questions – she understood everything. She was reading much more fluently, and would often correct herself.

I knew then that she didn’t need me anymore. From the back of the bike, I let go.

I can’t pretend to take all the credit for her success, along with her supportive school, teachers and family we are an important cog in that wheel. Giving support and encouragement and making reading

When you first let go of the bike, the rider will speed along happily and often won’t realise you’ve let go of them until they stop, look back and see how far they’ve come. It’s a moment of pride, happiness and huge achievement. fun is priceless. It gives children confidence that will set them up for life.

Last year, 1 in 4 children that left primary school didn’t reach the expected standard of reading – that’s 174,000 children left behind.

To find out how you can become a reading helper volunteer, visit corambeanstalk.org.uk * Stories are real but names have been changed and models are used to protect confidentiality

A winning partnership with McCarthy & Stone Coram Beanstalk’s year-long partnership with McCarthy & Stone, the UK’s leading developer of retirement communities, has raised over £180,000.

Staff across the country have gone above and beyond to raise thousands through a range of activities including a World Book Day fancy dress celebration, incredible galas and gruelling challenge events.

I ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon to promote the amazing and life-transforming work Coram Beanstalk are doing for underprivileged children – there is way more to it than reading.

Staff member Louise talking about her experience Volunteering has also been an important aspect of the partnership.

Staff took part in a Story Readers day where they experienced what it’s like to be a volunteer reading helper.

Thanks to the commitment and generosity of McCarthy & Stone staff, thousands of children are benefitting from the support of Coram Beanstalk’s volunteer reading helpers to develop their reading skills and build confidence for their future.

As a charity, we rely on the generous support of companies large and small to make a difference. Whether it is employee fundraising and engagement, commercial and strategic opportunities or one-off events, we support each company to develop a mutually beneficial partnership to maximise impact.

Become a partner today and help us to create a lifetime of difference for children, young people and families – email the team at corporate@coram.org.uk or call 020 7520 0426.

Other ways to fundraise for us!

Every small donation helps us provide children with critical services to give them the best possible chances in life. What we do is only possible because of you. And you can have fun while doing it!

Are you ready to organise your own event?

Are you a quiz mastermind?

A whizz in the kitchen?

Here are a few ideas to get you started: Have a bake sale in the office Haven’t missed a single episode of the Great British Bake Off? This is your opportunity to host a cake sale and show off your skills to your colleagues.

They’ll be glad for that sugary pick-me-up in the middle of the day.

Organise a quiz in your local pub Organising a quiz is always fun – and we can help you write one. Charge a small entrance fee and get quizzicle!

Hold a cheese and wine tasting evening Who doesn’t love a cheese platter over a glass of wine? Ask for a donation, and then relax, and enjoy all the fondue!

Do you need a collection tin? Want to talk over your ideas?

Just email us at challengeyourself@coram.org.uk

Tomorrow’s Achievers offer workshops for curious children to stretch their knowledge, imagination and skills

C for coding!

Tomorrow’s Achievers has been getting techie! The programme provides masterclasses for children who excel academically.

Tomorrow’s Achievers joined Coram several years ago and has since widened its remit to attract any child with a curiosity for learning, offering fun and engaging workshops.

Made possible by a private donation, Tomorrow’s Achievers designed a weeklong Coding Club during the school holidays, targeting disadvantaged looked after children from Islington and Hackney Virtual Schools. Ten children aged 7-12 attended the first Coding Club which was facilitated by Dr Safia Barikzai, lecturer at London South Bank University.

The Coding Club offers children an opportunity to learn new skills – including coding, team work, and problem solving. It’s also a great chance to make new friends. The week saw the children choose climate change as the topic for a digital storytelling animation. In order to build, code and develop their story, each child was involved in the following activities: • Working in small teams

I loved going to Coding Club, my favourite part was making the robots!

A child attending the club • Coding and programming using the Scratch coding platform

• Defining and developing characters and background scenery for their story

This compelling programme was based on London South Bank University’s InventEUrs scheme that has been running in schools and libraries and is based on promoting playful coding in a creative and engaging way.

• Building and programming Lego robots to use as characters in their story

To find out more about our various educational programmes, visit coramlifeeducation.org.uk

• Researching UN Sustainable Development Goals • Writing a script using storyboards

Giving Up Marty: a play written by Karen Bartholomew Until now, he’s just known Mum, Dad and his sister. Life is safe, settled and secure. As he turns eighteen, Joel’s birth mother and sister come looking for him. The events that follow change his life and identity forever.

The play will be followed by a Q&A with cast, creatives, and John Simmonds OBE, Director of Policy, Research and Development at CoramBAAF. £10 tickets – all proceeds will be donated to Coram.

25 March 2020, 6.30 – 9 p.m.

Queen Elizabeth II Centre, Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AZ Book tickets by visiting coram.org.uk/givingupmarty

The Ladies Petition:

A ground-breaking step for children’s rights After failing to gain backing for a charter to create a Foundling Hospital in 1729, Thomas Coram decided to ask for the help of women of a certain rank, leading to the ‘ladies petition’. This was a petition signed by 21 noblewomen, all of whom were Ladies of the Bedchamber to Queen Caroline. Ten years later, King George II signed a Royal Charter for the creation of the Foundling Hospital, which opened its doors on the 25 March 1741.

2020-22

“Every child deserves the best possible chance in life”

Free display on the history of children’s rights and a call for change

12 March - 31 July 2020

Monday - Friday, 9-6pm Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square London WC1N 1AZ

If you would like to find out more about Coram or donate, you can visit us on coram.org.uk or email us at supportercare@coram.org.uk The Thomas Coram Foundation for Children. Registered charity no. 312278 Established by Royal Charter in 1739. IG-2020-SN