Stories were brought to life in front of the eyes of pupils from Ledbury Primary School, thanks to a virtual storytelling event organised by Barratt Homes.

The youngsters were invited to the storytelling session for an afternoon of magical storytelling which was hosted on Zoom by Amy Douglas, an award-winning storyteller, who created a tailored experience for each class.

Tanya Silk, Sales Director at Barratt Homes West Midlands, said: “It was a pleasure to invite pupils from Ledbury Primary School to join us for a storytelling afternoon and Amy’s stories really enchanted the children which was great to see.

“The past year has been a challenging year for all, especially for those in the education sector with the impact of the pandemic forcing children to study from home and socially distance in the corridors.

“In light of the pandemic, and in a time when many school pupils want a personalised experience, Barratt Homes has transformed its usual storytelling event into a virtual event so that children can still enjoy all of the benefits of storytelling.”

She added: “Events such as these give Barratt Homes the opportunity to make a difference in the communities in which they build and encourage the awareness week that promotes skills such as reading, writing, listening and creativity.”

Barratt invited Amy, a member of the Society for Storytelling, to spend the afternoon telling stories to the pupils of all ages at Ledbury Primary School and engaging them in the literature.

Julie Rees, Headteacher at Ledbury Primary School, said: “We were delighted to be invited to a storytelling session ran by Barratt Homes. It was a fun afternoon for all of the pupils involved and it was great to see them engaged in Amy’s stories.

“We would like to thank the developer for inviting us to take part in the fantastic event. It’s great to see a company like Barratt Homes engaging with the community and organising events like this in such troubling times.”

The children learned how oral storytelling has allowed stories to survive and evolve over thousands of years, and across continents.

Barratt Homes West Midlands is currently building the nearby Hawk Rise estate in Ledbury, off Leadon Way.