VENT for Change - sustainable stationery

With your support VENT helps protect the planet and supports children’s education projects worldwide with every item sold. Nurturing the minds of tomorrow’s farmers, scientists, mechanics and teachers, while taking care of the precious resources they’ll count on in years to come. How it all began.. In 2014 environmental entrepreneur Evan Lewis, bought an ageing run-down facility producing pencils from recycled CD cases. After 18 months of hard work the improvements the team made were producing an additional one million pencils a year. At around the same time there was a string of devastating natural and man-made disasters which were effecting children worldwide, especially their education. Whole communities had been affected and children had lost their chance of going to school. “Pencils are the most iconic educational tool going back centuries and I wanted to do something with them, something inspirational.” Evan Lewis Founder After months of research, speaking with NGOs and charities large and small, local, national and international it was clear education was a priority the world over. Evan had a potential one million spare pencils being produced each year, but the key was money. Money to rebuild schools, pay teachers and provide essential materials. Evan then fell upon a solution. Sell his pencils and other stationery here in the UK and from the proceeds support existing education projects around the world. Teaming up with designer and illustrator Rosi Yip, VENT began to take shape. Evan also launched two other programmes. Share a Pencil Day is a global education awareness day for UK school children nationwide. In May 2018 more than 80,000 children signed up to take part. And his Ambassador for Change programme which enables travellers and volunteers to take pencils around the world and give them out FREE to those that need them most. Sometimes a humble pencil is the difference between being able to attend school or not.