Jeremy Houghton, who has painted the Queen and other famous people including tennis player Andy Murray, is encouraging people to bring the joy of colour and paint to children who cannot afford art materials.
Through his charity, Heart Felt Tips (HFT), he is challenging stationery providers to donate old and unwanted stock and asking schools to encourage families to fill pencil cases with creative resources and donate them to local food banks.
HFT organises for disadvantaged children to receive pencil cases packed with pens and other art supplies, creative tools that they all too often lack. The pencil cases are filled by children at schools and clubs, and then distributed via frontline food banks, children’s charities, hospitals, and faith centres.
Mr Houghton said, ‘I feel so sorry for these kids who have had barely any school provision for six months and are in families who just can’t go out and buy new equipment for them at school or at home.
‘Pens, pencils, felt-tips and paintbrushes aren’t luxuries - they’re everyday items which our children need to express themselves, especially in turbulent times.
‘In a digital world, we often forget the importance of a good pencil case and the tools inside it. When I was a child, I loved my pencil case, it completely opened up my eyes to what was possible at school.’
He added that much of the homeschooling focus was on core subjects, such as maths and English, with creative subjects taking a ‘back seat’.
- For more information visit www.heartfelttips.co.uk
