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My Way press release 2011
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Category - Press releases
Henry “The Fonz” Winkler OBE is touring schools across the country with First News, the national newspaper for children, and will launch the My Way! Awards at Downing Street
Following the success of the First News Reading Tours of 2008, 2009 and 2010, Henry Winkler OBE and First News will take to the road once again on the My Way! UK Schools Tour in June 2011.
The First News My Way! Campaign, supported by uDraw™, has already had a huge impact raising awareness of the needs of children with learning challenges in schools throughout the UK. My Way! has been making the UK a more friendly place and dispelling the stigma felt by children with learning difficulties, raising the self-esteem of children affected and giving their friends a greater understanding of the challenges one in five of the children in their class face. Henry is dyslexic himself and shares his story with school children telling them: “How you learn has nothing to do with how smart you are.”
He says: “School was unbelievably hard for me. Teachers didn’t know what dyslexia was at that time. So I was labelled a troublemaker. I was the class clown. I got a bad grade in everything but lunch. I was great at lunch!
“I was told I was stupid, lazy and not living up to my potential most of my life. And, when you’re younger and you’re told that, you believe it. It’s part of your self image.
“Just because we learn differently, that does not mean that we are not incredibly smart human beings. That’s something I need every child to understand.”
Despite Henry’s dyslexia he has gone on to become a bestselling author of children’s novels in addition to his success in acting and directing. He has recently been awarded an OBE for the work he does for children with learning difficulties.
On the tour Henry will be introducing British children to his Hank Zipzer stories, which are published by Walker Books in the UK. They focus on a 10- year-old boy with dyslexia and are the story of his life with a fictional twist. Henry will be accompanied on the tour by First News editor, Nicky Cox MBE, who will be talking to children about newspapers. Five years since its launch, First News is the widest-read weekly children’s publication in the UK with more than a million readers a week and is used as a resource in one in three schools nationwide. Both Henry and Nicky will be talking to children about the importance of learning through creativity, a message of great importance to campaign partner, uDraw™. Henry will also be appearing on various TV and radio broadcasts to advocate and endorse the campaign.
During the tour the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Honourable George Osborne MP, and his wife Frances will be hosting a reception at 11 Downing Street on 21 June for the official launch of the First News My Way! Awards.
Nicky Cox says, “For the new My Way! Awards, First News will be asking children to nominate the person who has made most difference to them in dealing with their learning challenges – people who have helped them to learn ‘my way’. It could be a teacher, a friend, a parent, a sibling, a dinner lady, a classroom assistant, or anyone else who has made a difference. It is giving children the chance to be the award givers and for them to say thank you.”
Campaign Partner information
The campaign is funded jointly by First News and uDraw™.
About First News First News is the number one way to communicate with children in the UK and is the widest-read children's publication with 1,047,543 readers a week. The only children’s newspaper in the UK, it is on sale every Friday on the news-stand and is used as a resource in a third of schools nationwide. Half of parents read their child's copy of First News, too, according to an independent survey carried out by You Gov. http://www.firstnews.co.uk
In January First News launched First News TV and produce a weekly children's news bulletin with our partner Sky News. You can see it at http://www.firstnews.co.uk/tv
About uDraw™ The uDraw™ Studio game software, included with the GameTablet, lets people save, share and print their artwork, transforming virtual art into a keepsake. Games currently available include Pictionary™ and Dood’s Big Adventure™, with more titles scheduled to début in 2011. Developed with Nintendo, the GameTablet™ is the first piece of hardware manufactured by THQ, the fifth largest software developer in the world. The uDrawGameTablet was released on Friday, 4th March 2011 available at major retailers currently priced at £49.99, including Amazon.com, Play, Game and ASDA.
About uDraw GameTablet™ The uDraw™ GameTablet™ is a first-of-its-kind device from THQ that gives players an entirely new and entertaining way to play – or draw – on the Nintendo Wii™. Combining immersive gameplay with an intuitive physical interface, the uDraw™ GameTablet™ inspires creativity and gives players the ultimate freedom of expression. For more information on the uDraw™ GameTablet™, please visit http://www.WorldofuDraw.com
uDraw™ GameTablet™ can also be found on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WorldofuDraw
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/World_of_uDraw
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/WorldofuDraw
Walker: Walker Books is the world's leading independent publisher of children's books and is part of a vibrant international group that includes Candlewick Press in America, and Walker Books Australia. Founded in 1980 Walker now publishes over 300 books a year across all genres, while remaining true to its original ethos: the pursuit of excellence. Walker Books is home to many award-winning authors and illustrators including Henry Winkler, Anthony Horowitz, Helen Oxenbury, Michael Morpurgo, John Burningham, Allan Ahlberg and Michael Rosen. www.walker.co.uk
Interview opportunities:
Henry and Nicky will be available for interview from Wednesday 15th June. For more information about First News and My Way! See www.firstnews.co.uk
To arrange an interview with Henry Winkler or Nicky Cox, please contact:
Kevin Gibson at Hills Balfour on 0207 367 0916 email keving@hillsbalfour.com or Serena Lacey on 0203 195 2003 email serena.lacey@firstnews.co.uk
