Let's craft
A campaign to get craft materials into the hands of children across the UK
Thank you to everyone who supported Let's Craft. Read about the impact Let's Craft continues to make in communities and explore all Crafts Council's education and learning work.
We teamed up with Hobbycraft and regional partners across England to launch a second Let’s Craft appeal, getting 20,000 craft packs into the hands of children who didn’t have art and craft supplies at home.
Making with our hands is life-affirming and supports our mental health. As children grow, it helps to build cognitive skills, hand-eye co-ordination, self-confidence and the ability to express themselves.
Creativity can sometimes be seen as low priority. Amid a cost-of-living crisis, it is under even more pressure as millions of families are being pushed into poverty. However, creative expression and craft can provide children with a lifeline, hours of happiness and a simple way to relieve pressure, using their own brilliant imaginations and inherent creativity.
The reality is that many children don’t have access to basic materials at home. That's where initiatives like Let's Craft can help. We delivered craft boxes, each containing 1,000 pieces of craft materials, to children across the UK. From scissors and glue to paint, pom-poms, and glitter, there was everything children needed to get making—all free.
How did Let’s Craft begin?
Let's Craft was created in 2020 as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many children who were most need of support had no access to art and craft materials while schools were closed – with a significant toll on their learning, wellbeing and development. With the return to school came additional pressures on the education system, meaning schools can't always provide the access to art and craft they would like.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of individuals, partners and foundations, the first phase of Let’s Craft raised over £117,000, reaching over 11,000 children.
Recipients of Let's Craft packs in Nottingham. Photo: Lamar Francis
Our partners
Let’s Craft was only possible with the generous support and enthusiasm of our following partners.
- Hobbycraft
East of England
- Royal Opera House
- Norwich and Norfolk Festival
East Midlands
- Mighty Creatives
London
- Islington Council
North West
- Curious Minds
North East
- Tyne & Wear Museum Archives
South West
- Scrapstore Plymouth
South East
- Artswork
West Midlands
- Arts Connect
Yorkshire and the Humber
- Shape North
