On Friday 12 May more than 470 employees took part in “The Walk”, a Penguin Random House UK institution.
Employees raised over £7,000 for creative writing and mentoring charity Ministry of Stories by completing a 7-mile route through London, past iconic landmarks and through the Royal Parks.
Co-founded by Penguin Random House author Nick Hornby in 2010, Ministry of Stories is a creative writing and mentoring space for disadvantaged young people aged 8-18 years. Ministry of Stories helps young people discover and realise their own creative potential through innovative creative writing programmes, including after-school writing workshops. By making writing fun and accessible they help young people find their voices and unleash their imaginations, building their confidence, self-respect and communication skills.
The Walk marks the start of #MiniFest – a month-long celebration of Penguin Random House UK’s partnership with Ministry of Stories. #MiniFest will include a series of events for employees to bring to life the charity’s impact, including ‘story-making workshops for grownups’ and a talk from co-founder Nick Hornby on writing and creativity. They will also have the chance to win a writing workshop for their own children hosted by Ministry of Stories.
13 Penguin Random House employees are also taking part in training to become online writing mentors during #MiniFest, helping Ministry of Stories to trial an innovative digital tool, The Story Engine, which aims to take their unique approach to creative writing into schools nationwide.
