This October, I'll be dusting off my Spidey suit and attempting to run the Oxford Half for an amazing wee charity called The Story Museum. Like me, you might be wondering why on earth anyone would do this. But the answer is simple: stories hold transformative power which The Story Museum brings to children in Oxford who need it the most.

We're raising money to ensure the museum can continue its vital work with local schools, family centres, and community groups, using stories to accelerate learning, increase emotional wellbeing, and expand children's worlds.

From a child’s earliest days to their teenage years, The Story Museum offers a creative learning programme which builds creativity, confidence, literacy and wellbeing. We prioritise families in Oxford’s least served communities and ensure price is no barrier with our free-to-access programme of tailored support. We use stories because we know they work. They expand and enrich children’s worlds and are fundamental to developing oracy and literacy skills – vital for improving life chances.

The need for our work in Oxford is clear: 26% of children grow up in poverty and, despite the city’s reputation for academic excellence, disadvantaged pupils in the county perform worse than their peers nationally. We want to change this narrative with our vibrant Learning, Access, And Participation programme which last year supported 13,417 children, teachers, and families.

Please support us so we can continue to inspire young imaginations and foster a love of stories which we know improves life chances. And if you're in Oxford on October 13th, keep an eye out for our story characters racing around the city!