WIREDGOV

Schools across Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds have benefited from £2,500 worth of free stationery thanks to a YPO donation marking the NSPCC Kindness Challenge 2026.

YPO created a pop-up stationery shop at each school, allowing children from every class to pick and mix free supplies to share with their classmates. Items included glue sticks, pens, pencils, highlighters and stickers, packed in YPO-branded tote bags.

The Wakefield-based organisation, which has supported the education sector for more than 50 years, took part in the challenge for the second consecutive year, helping schools facing tighter budgets for securing essential classroom supplies.

NSPCC’s week-long, inclusive fundraising initiative celebrates kindness while raising money for Childline in its 40th anniversary year.

Participating Manchester schools were Holy Cross CEVA Primary School, Saviour CE Primary School and St Thomas’ Leesfield CE Primary School. In Sheffield, Charnock Hall Primary Academy, Waterthorpe Nursery Infant School and Prince Edward Primary School took part.

The Leeds schools were Co-op Academy Nightingale, Bankside Primary School and Springwell Academy East Leeds.

Shakira Khan, NSPCC Celebrity Ambassador and Celebrity MasterChef star, joined YPO and the NSPCC at the Kindness Challenge stationery drop-off in Manchester, helping distribute free supplies to pupils.

The Kindness Challenge supports the NSPCC’s mission to spread kindness. Schools receive free resources and classroom activities with ideas for acts of kindness, while thousands of participating pupils raise money for Childline, the NSPCC’s 24/7 service for children and young people.

The donation forms part of YPO’s continued support for the NSPCC and provides a practical boost for schools managing tighter budgets.

In 2025, YPO supported the challenge by delivering stationery to schools across Bolton, Liverpool and Bradford.

The NSPCC is YPO’s charity partner. Since 2022, YPO has raised more than £170,000 for the charity through staff fundraising, events and initiatives, as well as donations from funds generated by sales of YPO-branded products.

YPO and the NSPCC renewed their partnership for a further three years in 2025. As part of that continued support, YPO also donated £380 worth of products and stationery to the new NSPCC Leeds Hub this week.

Simon Hill, YPO’s Managing Director, yesterday said:

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with the NSPCC and support its vital work and services protecting children and helping young people rebuild their lives.

“The Kindness Challenge is one of the many ways we work together to make a positive difference. We are proud to support the Kindness Challenge for a second consecutive year, and this donation is our gift of kindness to schools, reflecting YPO’s ongoing commitment to children, young people and their education.”

Fay Purves, NSPCC Corporate Partnership Fundraiser, yesterday said:

"The Kindness Challenge is one of the NSPCC's key events in schools across the country and right here in Yorkshire, so it's terrific to have support from a local company.

"We are hugely grateful to everyone at YPO for their continued generosity and support of the NSPCC and our Kindness Challenge. It was wonderful to join Shakira Khan for the deliveries at some of the schools, and I'm certain the donations will be well used by the classrooms across Yorkshire."

To find out more about YPO’s partnership with the NSPCC, visit YPO’s NSPCC partnership page.