We're donning our Spidey suits and running the 2024 Oxford Half Marathon for The Story Museum because stories are magic! And for the 26% of children growing up in poverty in Oxford, this magic is especially needed to improve their life chances and inspire a lifelong love of learning.

We're raising money to ensure the museum can deliver its vital work with local schools, family centres, and community groups to enrich young lives through stories.

From a child’s earliest days to their teenage years, the museum offers a creative learning programme which builds creativity, confidence, literacy and wellbeing. They prioritise families in Oxford’s least served communities and ensure price is no barrier with a free-to-access programme of tailored support. They use stories because 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 this work in Oxford is clear: despite the city’s reputation for academic excellence, disadvantaged pupils in the county perform worse than their peers nationally. The museum wants to change this narrative through its vibrant Learning, Access, And Participation programme which last year supported 13,417 children, teachers, and families.

Please support the museum 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!