Raising funds with The Big Give to take the museum into the classroom

This December Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) is aiming to raise £5,000 to supply schools in economically deprived areas of Newcastle with a year’s access to museums object loan boxes ‘Boxes of Delights’.

Over one week only every £1 the public donates will be doubled thanks to The Big Give online campaign, who are pledging match funding from 12 noon on 1 December to 12 noon on 8 December.

An estimated 60,000 children have missed out on life enhancing school museum visits as a result of the current pandemic. This campaign will extend TWAM’s Boxes of Delight loans programme to some of the city’s most in need children enabling teachers to take the museum into the classroom.

Clare Smith, Learning and Engagement Manager at TWAM said:

“We have one week to get our donations doubled thanks to the Big Give to achieve our target of £5,000. The Boxes of Delight scheme enables young people and their teachers to actively engage with history in their own environment. These objects stimulate curiosity and conversation, generating new ideas and learning.

“Pupils really benefit from being able to bring stories to life through connecting with objects that reflects TWAM's collections and their own region’s heritage, particularly when they have limited access to their local museums.”

With a wide selection of boxes from pre-history to the 1990s, the boxes contain handling objects, costumes and supporting information, covering themes from the Romans to World War II, vintage toys to the Vikings, the boxes give children new opportunities and learning experiences.

Boxes of Delight is a subscription service, giving schools access to support and to enhance their teaching and enrich children’s learning.

The TWAM Christmas Gift appeal is raising £5,000 to give an annual membership to ten schools who are not able to visit museums or have the funds to subscribe to the Boxes of Delight service.

To donate please click here. Donations open noon 1 December - noon 8 December.