Matthew Conway is the MD of independent, family-run Dipple & Conway opticians in Norfolk – the lead sponsor of this year’s GoGoDiscover Learning and Community Programme. Here he explains why they have launched a short story writing competition for children and young people to celebrate the Break Charity trail
Everywhere you look in Norwich and Norfolk this summer you will see colourful dinosaur and mammoth sculptures as the GoGoDiscover trail is underway. Dipple & Conway opticians, which is headline sponsor of the GoGoDiscover Learning & Community Programme, is encouraging children to weave these prehistoric characters into a short story. The Dipple & Conway ‘three little dinos’ creative writing competition asks children aged 16 or under, to write an original story of 500 words or less, with three of the Breakasaurus sculptures featuring as the main characters.
Judges will be looking for stories packed full of interesting words, expressive writing and lots of imagination. One winner will be picked in each age category (six and under, seven to 10, and 11 to 16 years), with the author winning a three-month book subscription, kindly donated by independent Norwich bookstore, Book Bugs and Dragontales.
Matthew Conway, managing director of Dipple & Conway opticians, says: ‘As a long-term supporter of Break, Wild in Art and their fantastically colourful art trails, we are very proud to be the lead sponsor of this year’s GoGoDiscover Learning and Community Programme. And now that the Breakasaurus sculptures, T.Rex and Steppe Mammoths are on display for all to see, we wanted to give young people another opportunity to unleash their creativity. All our GoGoDiscover activities are following the theme of ‘Look Closely, Discover More’, and we’re hoping that young writers will take inspiration from the incredible detail that has gone into many of the sculptures.
‘We’re encouraging any budding young authors, with a passion for reading and creative writing, to celebrate these colourful characters in story form, by sinking their teeth into our competition. Stomp on over to the children’s library at the Forum, in Norwich, to take a closer look at our three Breakasaurus sculptures. What adventures they get up to is entirely down to you, so let your imagination run wild!’
The GoGoDiscover trail is on until Saturday September 10, with 55 large T.rex, 24 Steppe Mammoth and 98 smaller Breakasaurus sculptures prowling the streets and shores of Norwich and Norfolk for everyone to discover and enjoy. In aid of local children’s charity, Break, these colourful creations will eventually be auctioned off with all proceeds going towards helping the charity to make life bette for children and young people who are on the edge of care, in care and leaving care.
Dipple & Conway opticians, an independent family-run business, is the headline sponsor of the 2022 GoGoDiscover Learning and Community Programme, the part of the GGoDiscover trail which has seen 100 schools and community groups get involved, by decorating a smaller three-foot Breakasaurus sculpture.
Thanks to the programme, which aims to help inspire creativity, imagination and nurture confidence, more than 12,000 children and young people – as part of schools and community groups – have had the opportunity to decorate a Breakasaurus sculpture. Now, with their beautifully designed dinosaurs on display throughout the city, including in the children’s library at the Forum, children are being encouraged to take a closer look and get creative with words to win some awesome prizes.
Matthew adds: ‘Our three little dinos are called Eye-Don’t-Think-He-Saurus, Tabitha the Tree-Rex and Dissy the Dissosaurus and were brilliantly decorated by pupils from Recreation Road in Norwich, Heartwood Primary in Swaffham, and Diss Junior Academy, and if you look closely, you’ll spot some words in their design. One is also wearing a stylish collection of glasses!’
For anyone who cannot get to the library to take a closer look, pictures of the three little dinosaurs can be viewed on the Dipple & Conway website and on Instagram.
The Dipple & Conway ‘three little dinos’ creative writing competition is open for entries until September 12, 2022. Find out more at Calling All Young Creative Writers! – Dipple and Conway. Also, visit Break.
Featured image: Matthew Conway of Dipple & Conway and children launch the competition
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