Sparking imaginations: York Children’s University returns

Posted on Monday 14 November 2016

Run by employee-volunteering charity York Cares, this year sees seven family-friendly events taking place across the city for children aged 5-14, with three of these sessions being delivered by student volunteers.

From Road Dahl storytelling led by creative writing group Inkwell, to creating art with volunteering group Artistic Autistic, York CU hosts fun and innovative experiences outside of the school day.

Ollie Kossoff, a second year Psychology student and volunteer with Artistic Autistic who will be running a session on 17 November, said: "We are really excited to be running an interactive family session as part of Children's University in the City. Artistic Autistic is a student-run company working with Peter Myers, an artist within the community with Asperger's syndrome, so he is able to hand draw detailed and precise artwork.”

“Our aim is to raise awareness for a still poorly-understood condition and remove any stigmas. This is done through art-based workshops that both educate children on autism, encouraging everyone to celebrate their differences rather than hide them away."

More than 400 children and parents took part in York CU events last year. York CU is part of a national scheme led by the CU Trust, which aims to raise aspirations in children through short, fun, innovative activities.