Three Norfolk schools greeted a very unusual visitor at the end of their school term when a three foot dinosaur sculpture stomped into the playground.
Year five pupils from Diss Junior Academy, children at Heartwood Primary and Nursery in Swaffham and year one pupils at Recreation Road Infant School in Norwich came face to face with a tiny T.rex as Norfolk opticians, Dipple & Conway, announced it would be donating each school a sculpture and the chance to get involved in the 2022 GoGoDiscover trail.
Dipple & Conway Opticians is a family-run independent business with practices in Diss, Swaffham and Norwich. Earlier this year, the charity Break, who provide lifelong support to children and young people in care, on the edge of care or leaving care, announced that Dipple & Conway Opticians had stomped on board as the headline sponsor for the GoGoDiscover Learning & Community Programme.
The programme gives schools, colleges and community groups the chance to decorate their very own dinosaur sculpture and see it go on display as part of the main 2022 GoGoDiscover trail. Once painted, these Breakasaurus sculptures will be exhibited across public spaces in cultural and leisure hubs across Norwich in the summer of 2022, before being returned to the pupils and groups who designed them.
As headline sponsor, Dipple & Conway Opticians has donated a Breakasaurus to Diss Junior Academy, Heartwood Primary and Recreation Road so they can get involved at no cost.
After making a surprise visit last week, the miniature dinosaurs will return to their classrooms after the summer break, with each participating school receiving their sculpture at the start of the new academic year. As well as a sculpture to design and paint, they will also receive a creative educational resource pack for teachers filled with lesson plans and fun activities.
So far, more than 80 schools and community groups are signed up to take part.
Ellie Edge from Break explains; “The GoGoDiscover Learning & Community Programme gives schools, colleges and community groups from across Norfolk the chance to get involved with our dino-themed trail, and get creative by designing and painting their very own mini T.rex sculpture. It’s brilliant to have Dipple & Conway Opticians on board as our headline sponsor for this year and next, and we thank them for generously donating their three smaller sculptures so that pupils in Diss, Swaffham, and Norwich can join in.”
Matthew Conway from Dipple & Conway Opticians adds; “We’ve donated these dinosaur sculptures so children based in our local communities have the opportunity to sink their teeth into this brilliantly fun and educational programme. We’re really looking forward to working with Break and seeing all the dino-tastic designs come to life next year.
“With the 2021 GoGoDiscover trail now taking place in Norwich, with 21 large T.rex large sculptures stomping on to the streets, and Dippy settled in at Norwich Cathedral, dinosaur fever is taking hold of Norfolk. It was great fun to surprise the children at the end of term and to see them so excited to meet their dinosaur friend for the first time. We know their designs will be absolutely roar-some.”
Michael Bunting, Headteacher at Recreation Road Infant School in Norwich comments; “As a school, we’re always trying to create ‘wow’ experiences to open our children’s eyes to the joy of learning. Many thanks to Break for creating this wonderful project, and to Dipple & Conway Opticians for supporting us to take part. I know that the children will be inspired by caring for and beautifying their very own T.rex!”
The first part of the GoGoDiscover two year trail is on now until Saturday 11th September 2021 before the T.rex return in summer 2022 with even more sculptures in Norwich and new Steppe Mammoths to discover across Norfolk. GoGoDiscover is delivered by East Anglian based children’s charity Break in partnership with Wild in Art and aims to raise vital funds and awareness for vulnerable young people and children on the edge of care, in care and leaving care.
For more information about Break visit www.break-charity.org Text TREX to 70085 to donate £3. Texts cost £3, plus one standard rate message. #GoGoDiscover
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Media contacts:
For further press information about Dipple & Conway Opticians please Hannah Freeman and Pippa Lain-Smith at Plain Speaking PR
hannah@plainspeakingagency.co.uk | pippa@plainspeakingagency.co.uk 01603 487291
About Dipple & Conway Opticians
Dipple & Conway Opticians was founded in 1916 in Norwich, initially a partnership between George Dipple and Thomas Conway. In 1923 a second branch was opened in Cambridge. After the deaths of the founding partners in the 1950s, the Dipples and Conways went their separate ways but the Dipple & Conway brand name was retained in Norwich. Dominic Conway took over the Norwich business.
Since the 1980s, Dominic’s three sons – Damian, Robert and James – have been responsible for driving Dipple & Conway forward and there are currently three practices: Norwich, Swaffham and Diss.
In 2016, the company celebrated its centenary year, and today, the next generation of the family – Matthew and Ben Conway – have taken the helm alongside their management team.
Dipple & Conway aims to provide the best clinical eye care available outside a hospital environment; investing in talented professionals and state of the art equipment.
Online www.dippleconway.co.uk
Twitter https://twitter.com/DippleandConway
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dippleandconway/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dippleandconway/
About GoGoDiscover
GoGoDiscover is delivered by East Anglia based children’s charity Break, in partnership with Wild in Art as the sculpture creators.
www.break-charity.org/gogodiscover
#GoGoDiscover
Text TREX to 70085 to donate £3. Texts cost £3, plus one standard rate message.
About Break (Registered Charity No 286650)
Break is an innovative charity that provides hope and support for vulnerable children and young people. Based in East Anglia, Break offers a ‘whole childhood’ service that represents exceptional commitment to the young people it works with and investment in their futures. Break’s vision is to be the leading children’s care charity in the region, striving for the best outcomes for young people on the edge of care, in care and moving on from care.
Posted by Dipple Conway"I’m very impressed by the friendly and helpful attitude of the staff at Dipple and Conway, and by the very competent and professional service my optometrist provided. It really is a pleasure to ones eyes tested there."
Mike Lindsay
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