The Magic of Stories: My day volunteering at Grimm & Co

Once upon a time, in the heart of Rotherham, I stepped into Grimm & Co, leaving behind a slightly drizzly October day in search of a hidden world of magic, mischief and storytelling. Inside, I found an apothecary where you could purchase disappointment by the can-full, trapped wind by the bottle, and magic wands by the handful. Fairy lights twinkle around wooden beams, busy bookcases burst with books and inspiration; you can walk through wardrobes, discover hidden rooms behind bookcases, and even find scales that reveal which magical creature you are when you step on them. Grimm & Co has created a space ready to inspire young minds, to suspend reality, and to channel their inner magic as they weave stories…

At First Give, we believe in the power and potential for young people to enact positive change in their communities through social action. I love our mission, and I’m especially grateful for the opportunity First Give provides its staff to reflect on how we can support the causes we care about by giving our time and skills through the provision of volunteering days. I am – of course – really passionate about creating opportunities for young people, and I consider myself lucky that this lies at the heart of my role at First Give. I’m also an avid reader, and as a child was forever found with my nose in a book, off on some new adventure. I believe that stories are powerful, impactful and important, and so when I got the opportunity to visit Grimm & Co, a Yorkshire literacy charity, I leapt at the chance. I signed up to support their “Curiouser & Curiouser” workshop one Friday morning, an experience for young children, parents and carers that delivers a little bit of magic and a lot of joy – I couldn’t wait to get started!

Grimm & Co is dedicated to inspiring creativity in children and young people, building their confidence and developing skills in literacy, all the while taking fun very seriously indeed. They invite children and young adults from 0-18 to use the power of story to foster greater self-esteem and resilience, and their mission, ‘to change lives, one story at a time’, is brought to life through immersive workshops, after-school clubs and Saturday sessions where young people can shape and share their stories. Focused on equitable access, Grimm & Co’s innovative model particularly supports people from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing a space where hidden talents can emerge, and imaginations drive the learning journey.

As a Programme Manager at First Give, I know the great value of youth-led activity, and I was excited to see this in a new context at Grimm & Co – combining my bookish nature with a desire to provide greater opportunities for young people to explore their creativity and voice their ideas in new ways. The ‘Curiouser & Curiouser’ workshop I joined was the last in a 6-week block, and saw Grimm & Co collaborating with a forest school practitioner to get the children engaging with some autumnal activities in what we hoped would be a rain-free few hours in the garden, which was a brilliantly enchanting space. The children joined in a story about a pumpkin hunt before embarking on a range of exciting activities inspired by the tale: they made wands, created pumpkin pies and pumpkin soup, made magical talismans, stamped leaves into fabric, sang songs, and enjoyed quality time with their loved ones in the Grimm garden.

My time at Grimm & Co was a delightful and inspiring reminder that learning can – and should – be fun, engaging and creative. The Grimm & Co model captures the minds and hearts of many, fostering greater opportunities for young people who may not have seen or understood themselves to have a flair for storytelling, and creates memorable opportunities for them to try new ideas and activities in a supportive environment that enables them to gain skills and enjoy the process of learning new things and discovering existing talents. I’m looking forward to visiting Grimm & Co again in the future!