Milton Keynes children sign up to pen pal project backed by radio presenter Chris Smith

Children in Milton Keynes are to join a campaign to discover the joy of pen pals with the opportunity of building lifelong friendships.

The Maped Helix Pen Pals 4 Pupils Project was launched to connect children in Years 3 to 5 with their peers in other parts of the country, offering them a safe way to exchange handwritten letters.

A total of 44 schools signed up, including Brooklands Farm Primary School in Milton Keynes.

Lianne Fletcher, head of marketing at Maped Helix, said: “We’re delighted that so many schools across the UK have signed up to Pen Pals 4 Pupils.

"Having a pen pal can be really special and the friendships formed can endure for years, as many people of older generations will remember.

“The children will begin exchanging letters in the coming weeks and I’m sure they will love the experience. It’s a chance for them to put their digital devices down and to get creative, while building handwriting and English skills.”

Pen Pals 4 Pupils was launched to coincide with the start of National Stationery Week in mid-May, with Maped Helix a proud sponsor of the celebratory event.

Maped Helix’s campaign was backed by radio presenter and bestselling children’s author Chris Smith.

Every school which signed up for Pen Pals 4 Pupils had the opportunity to attend a creative writing masterclass with Chris.

More than 40 schools took part in the hour-long session, which was delivered in conjunction with Authors Aloud UK, the leading UK agency for arranging author, illustrator, poet or storyteller visits into schools, libraries and other venues across the UK.

Chris said: “I am a huge advocate of the Pen Pals 4 Pupils scheme and Maped Helix’s efforts to encourage children to use their imagination by writing letters.

“It was a real privilege to lead the virtual sessions with schools across the country and to offer guidance on creative writing and the process of story writing. It was great to see so many young people excited about writing.”

Participating schools were also entered into a prize draw to win prizes, including products from Maped Helix’s most popular stationery ranges and a copy of Chris’ new book, Clarity Jones and the Magical Detective Agency.

More information is available here