A Rotherham-based literacy charity has permanently moved their clubs and activities into what attendees say is a ‘magical’ building.
After four years of building work, Grimm and Co has a new home in a completely renovated church near the town centre.
Leo, a young attendee from Rotherham, said: “It’s just mind blowing that this church has just become a magical kingdom from out of the blue.
“It’s absolutely magical. And especially if you go to Saturday Club, you can just see a massive slide. It’s like a beanstalk. I love it.”
Grimm and Co provides free literacy sessions for children and young people from the age of 0 to 18.
From long term residencies in schools to empower teachers to promote the literacy curriculum to after school programmes and the Saturday club, their programmes aim to have a professional outcome at the end.
Gemma Thornton, Head of Learning and Impact at Grimm Co, said: “Everything that the children create, we will make into something to celebrate their work.
“So it’s purposeful. They can see a reason for writing. A lot of our programs might end in the publication of an actual book that is sold in our shop in this new building.”
The children have completed a song writing programme, where local bands recorded their songs and it was made into a CD, which is sold in the new building.
Louise Treloar, Communications Coordinator at the charity, explains in the video below about the purpose and impact of such programmes on children, especially because they take place in their new building.
Marilyn Moreman, the grandmother of one of the attendees, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic because if children come here into the cafe, there are things for them to actually do while parents have a drink.
“It really is geared to the children of Rotherham, which is marvellous. Leo’s got a fantastic imagination anyway, but it really brings it out.
“Unfortunately, his writing isn’t brilliant, so sometimes we have a scribe for Leo, so everything for the child is catered for here.
“It really is a wonderful place and sometimes given the chance, or choice I should say, for Leo to go to somewhere else on a Saturday, no, it’s got to be Grimm, which is testament to the way they treat the children here.”