PRH kicks off #MiniFest with £7k raised in charity walk

Employees of Penguin Random House UK have raised over £7,000 for creative writing and mentoring charity Ministry of Stories by completing a seven-mile walking route through London, including through the Royal Parks.

On Friday (12th May) more than 470 employees turned out to take part in "The Walk", a PRH UK institution, taking place annually to help Ministry of Stories support disadvantaged young people through its creative writing programmes. Employees wore on-brand Penguin orange t-shirts and were able to take the afternoon off to participate.

The Walk marks the start of #MiniFest, a month-long celebration of PRH UK’s partnership with Ministry of Stories. It will include a series of events for employees including "story-making workshops for grownups" and a talk from co-founder of the charity Nick Hornby on writing and creativity. There is also the opportunity for parents to win a writing workshop for their own children hosted by Ministry of Stories. 

Altogether 13 PRH employees are also taking part in training to become online writing mentors during #MiniFest, helping Ministry of Stories to trial a new digital tool, The Story Engine, which is intended for use in schools nationwide.

Volunteers and staff from Ministry of Stories joined The Walk, including director and co-founder Ben Payne. He commented: “It has been incredible to see so many people coming together to support Ministry of Stories. The Walk is a very special opportunity to celebrate our partnership with Penguin Random House and to raise vital funds to help us continue supporting young people, and helping them to discover their courage and creativity.”