A new £¾m fund to benefit the work of Seven Stories, the national centre for children’s books in Newcastle upon Tyne, has been founded thanks to the Enid Blyton Trust for Children. Its Trustees have decided to wind up the Enid Blyton Trust for Children and donate its assets to set up a permanent fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. This fund will support the work of Seven Stories for years to come. Kate Edwards, Chief Executive of Seven Stories said, “We are thrilled that the Enid Blyton Trustees have asked us to continue their work to improve the lives of children through learning and leisure opportunities. This new Fund, founded in Enid Blyton’s name, deepens our connection with her and her outstanding contribution to children’s literature in Britain. Grants from the Enid Blyton Fund for Seven Stories at Community Foundation will support our work to inspire more children from different walks of life to enjoy reading and the life opportunities that this brings.” An Enid Blyton Trust for Children trustee explained their decision, “Seven Stories is a truly inspiring place. We know that we have made the right decision and believe that Enid herself would feel very happy with everything Seven Stories is doing for her, her work and for the children”.
The founding of an endowment fund for Seven Stories is timely. As public funding is set to decline,cultural organisations are being encouraged to raise more funds from private sources. Endowments,which are large sums of money invested to provide a regular income for the charity, are common in the US and are increasingly seen as a way that UK arts charities can strengthen their long term future.Kate Edwards says, “The Enid Blyton Fund for Seven Stories has made it possible for us to have an
endowment, which until recently was just a dream. Though support from our public funders continuesto be vital, our fundraising ambition is to grow our endowment to £5m, building a more secure future for Seven Stories and our mission to protect, share and celebrate our precious literary inheritance for children with generations to come.”
Seven Stories is the only gallery and archive in Britain that celebrates the wonderful world of children’s books. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Seven Stories gives a unique insight into the making of a children’s book through engaging exhibitions, events and learning activities that encourage children, young people, families and researchers to explore their own creativity.
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