The library will host twelve ‘Super Saturday’ educational sessions throughout the year aimed at children aged seven and over, with a focus on science-based crafts and animation.
Mary Cousins, librarian-in-charge at the Westmoreland Road facility, said: “We’ve wanted to do this sort of project, aimed at primary aged children, for some time and the sponsorship from Old Mutual International allowed us to launch the Super Saturday events. We chose a superhero theme because it suited the techy, gamey, funology feeling of what we wanted to do, as well as emphasising the specialness of these monthly sessions.”
Along with paying for craft materials and helping keep session costs low for parents, the Onchan-based company’s sponsorship has paid for ten iPads with tripods and cases for the library.
Mary said: “Having iPads for the afternoon animation workshops has really expanded what we can offer young people at the library all year round so we’re so grateful.”
She added: “Sponsorship of the library is hugely important: as a charity that supports the Island community, we rely on sponsorship and donations to keep all the services going.”
The first Super Saturday event took place on January 30, with children making straw rockets in the morning’s science and craft session and those taking part in the afternoon workshops creating stop-frame animations.
Old Mutual International senior investment manager Mark Callow said: “As an international business we have an obligation to invest in the communities that we operate in, it forms an integral part of our approach to being a responsible business. We are therefore delighted to support such a great community facility. It provides an imaginative and inspiring space for children and indeed their families. We’re proud to have been able to work with the library staff to reach their goal of providing educational workshops for older children and it was inspiring to see this in action at the first event.”
The sponsorship is one of a select few initiatives which Old Mutual International has committed to supporting in 2016 covering education, the arts and sports.
Photo - Old Mutual International employees (back left) pictured with Family Library staff (back right) and children taking part in a drop-in animation workshop at the Super Saturday launch event.
