Schools and community groups
Next stop: Neverland! Celebrate childhood by designing and painting a storybook bench for A Neverland Adventure: Art Trail, opening in summer 2027.
Get your school or community group involved
Fly with us to Neverland and be part of something truly special!
In summer 2027, we’re setting up a trail of storybook benches in London, and we’d love for you to join us. In addition to sculptures designed by professional artists, we’re inviting local schools, from nurseries to further education colleges, and community groups, from youth groups to sports and creative clubs and beyond, to create their own benches for the trail.
What awaits you in Neverland:
- Your own storybook bench sculpture to design and paint
- A kick-off workshop with creative learning experts from Wild in Art
- A resource pack with an age-appropriate and inclusive design brief, activity ideas, creative content and step-by-step guidance
- A fundraising toolkit and communications pack
Your part in the adventure:
- Run simple fundraising activities for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity
- Bring your school or group together to design your own book bench sculpture and celebrate the enchanting world of Neverland
Your finished bench will feature as part of the main art trail, proudly displayed alongside other sculptures designed by professional artists. After the trail closes in August 2027, your beautifully designed bench will be returned to your school or group – a lasting reminder of the joy shared along the way.
There are limited opportunities to take part in A Neverland Adventure, so please sign up today. We don’t want you to miss out!
The benefits of a great big adventure
A Neverland Adventure is your chance to be part of something unforgettable – to celebrate the magic of reading and spark imagination. Taking part is designed to be simple and stress-free. From your first ideas to your finished bench, you’ll receive support, guidance and inspiration, making it easy for your school or community group to get involved.
Why take part?
- Spark imagination and get creative – activity ideas that support school or group engagement, helping everyone explore their creativity while bringing stories to life.
- Inspiration for every child – fully inclusive and designed so children and young people of all ages and abilities can take part.
- Drive school priorities – from literacy and reading to art, wellbeing and community cohesion, the offer for schools is rooted in the curriculum and whole school development.
- A celebration of community – a shared creative journey that brings together children, families, artists and local communities to build connection and cohesion.
By being part of A Neverland Adventure: Art Trail, you’ll help build the new Children’s Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital. This state-of-the-art facility will include an incredible new hospital school with more space for learning and play. Together, we can build it. Together, we can help beat childhood cancer.
Decorate a sculpture
Find resources and activity ideas
Showcase your creativity
Build a lasting legacy
Learning programme benefits
See how other schools and youth groups have benefitted from getting involved in Wild in Art events.
“Inclusion and involvement really brought our class together, and it will be something for our students to treasure for their whole time at Craigmount and beyond”
— Teacher at Craigmount High School, Giraffe about Town, Edinburgh, 2022
Frequently asked questions
Early years settings, schools, colleges and community groups across: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Ealing, Kensington and Chelsea, Haringey, Islington, Hackney, Harrow, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, City of London, Westminster, Hertfordshire, Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Essex.
This includes:
- Nurseries and pre-schools
- Primary and secondary schools
- Special schools
- FE colleges
- Alternative provision settings, including PRUs, hospital schools and young offender institutions
- Independent schools, academies and maintained schools
- Community groups, including (but not limited to): Scouts, Guides, youth clubs, arts groups and more
Yes, absolutely. The project is designed to be inclusive, flexible and accessible for all children and young people.
As many as you like!
Whether it’s a small art club, one class, a year group or your whole school community, this project can be scaled to fit your setting. We’ll provide ideas and resources to help you make it work for your group.
Definitely. In fact, we’d love to see whole communities come together to create something magical.
As a minimum, we ask that you:
- Attend the inspiration workshop
- Design and paint your bench
- Fundraise a minimum of £750 for GOSH Charity
The rest is up to you! But don’t worry – we’ll provide activity ideas, assemblies and resources to help you plan and make the most of your journey.
Not at all. All you need is imagination, teamwork and a sprinkling of fairy dust. This is a community participation project, and you’re not expected to create a professional-quality bench.
Each bench will tell the unique stories of the children and young people who created it, so we want them to look and feel authentically made. Of course, if you have talented artists who’d like to take part, they’re very welcome to get involved too!
There are lots of creative possibilities, and many materials are affordable and already found in a typical school art cupboard. We’ll share full guidance and ideas once you sign up.
Yes. We’ll provide your storybook bench.
Just a few. We want each bench to celebrate creativity while also remaining suitable for a public, family-friendly art trail. Full guidance will be provided.
You’ll be supported every step of the way.
This includes:
- A kick-off inspirational workshop
- A Neverland Adventure handbook, with all the information you need to design a bench and fundraise for GOSH Charity
- Support throughout the project from the GOSH Charity Community team
This is your chance to begin the adventure!
You’ll learn:
- How the project works
- How other schools and groups have approached their benches as part of previous trails
- What materials and techniques work best
- Key information about the trail and timeline
A full agenda will be shared closer to the time.
Yes! You’ll receive a resource pack including:
- A launch presentation for use in assembly or to kick off the project in your community group
- Information about Neverland, Peter Pan and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)
- Creative activity ideas
- A fundraising toolkit with ideas and top tips
- A communications pack to help you shout about your involvement
The possibilities are almost endless. The project naturally supports:
- Art and Design
- English and Literacy
- PSHE
It also helps develop:
- Confidence and wellbeing
- Teamwork and communication
- Community connections
- Parent and family engagement
- Creative thinking and problem- solving
You’ll need a safe, indoor space to store and work on your bench during the project.
Yes. Full details will be provided once you sign up.
We’re currently finalising the magical locations along the trail route. You’ll receive full details well in advance.
Benches will be returned to schools and groups in September 2027.
Yes! The bench is yours to keep as a lasting reminder of your Neverland adventure.
This trail has been created to raise vital funds for GOSH, and providing benches to schools and community groups comes at a significant cost.
Because of this, we’re asking each school or group involved to support our fundraising efforts by raising a minimum of £750. We’re incredibly grateful for every contribution.
Your bench will become part of A Neverland Adventure: Art Trail before returning home to your school or group.
Each bench will feature a plaque celebrating your school or group’s involvement. We’ll collect all the details you’d like to be included nearer the time.
Absolutely – the more adventurers, the better! We’d love families and local communities to join the journey.
Yes, although the trail will take place during the summer holidays. We’ll provide full information so families and groups can explore the trail together.
Yes. We’ll provide a communications pack including template press releases and promotional materials to help you spread the word about your adventure.
