Since starting at Bridge Academy I've been the Bridge Pirate Liaison, referring students to the programme to improve their literacy, confidence and perseverance in the Hackney Pirates' fun, unconventional and exciting learning space. They do some incredible work with children, taking them on weird and wonderful learning adventures and reigniting their passion for learning and creativity. I've seen children, who refuse to write in class, write pages and pages about how they escaped a shipwreck, after taking part in an immersive activity with a 'real' pirate captain (who'd conveniently suffered concussion and needed to be reminded of how the crew lost the ship). It's lovely to see the boost children get when they realise they can write. 

We have many Pirate success stories at Bridge Academy, and each one of those students, who has grown into a confident, resilient and literate teenager, remembers their experiences on the programme fondly. 

Please sponsor me to help this excellent charity make an even bigger impact with the children across Hackney.