ENYP Partners with Marks & Spencers for Trip to Paddington 2

50 young people from Norwich have been treated to an extra special evening out to enjoy Paddington 2, the family film of the festive season, and the star of this year’s M&S Christmas campaign.

NORWICH YOUNG PEOPLE TREATED TO SPECIAL EVENING WITH PADDINGTON
M&S SURPRISES ENYP WITH SCREENING OF PADDINGTON 2 FILM – Article written by M&S

The group of children from ENYP became VIPs for the day at VUE Norwich, as they were treated to an exclusive advance screening of the new film. M&S also provided the group with cinema goodies to enjoy whilst they followed the bear on his latest heart-warming adventure.
The exclusive screening was offered to the group of children as part of a wider commitment from M&S to Norwich, which will see the retailer trial a range of actions in the community to help tackle the issues that matter most locally, including unemployment, poverty, mental health and wellbeing. Announced earlier this year, the M&S Plan A initiative aims to support 1,000 UK communities by 2027, sharing successful initiatives and learnings from ten pilot locations, which includes Norwich.
ENYP is a vital part of the community, supporting young people in Norwich with a wide range of youth work activities, including clubs, school courses and community projects to join them for the special screening. Through its work over 2,000 local young people have been supported.
Chirs Luff, M&S Store Manager in Norwich, commented: “We’re thrilled to have treated the children who rely on the important services of ENYP to a fun evening out, to mark the start of the festive season. Our partnership with Paddington has provided us with the opportunity to create special moments for organisations that undertake vital work at the heart of local communities, which brings to life what the spirit of Christmas is all about.”
Dominic Ward, ENYP Pioneer Youth Worker, added: “ENYP has been supporting young people since 2007 and we rely on charitable donations to be able to continue our work. Many of the children we support are from less advantaged backgrounds, so to be able to provide this treat for them with M&S is wonderful. Some who came to the screening have never even been to the cinema, so this is really is a fantastic and memorable evening. We’d like to thank M&S for partnering with us for this event and look forward to their continued work with the Norwich community.”
Marks & Spencer’s Christmas campaign, ‘Paddington and the Christmas Visitor’, aired this week, telling the festive, family focused tale of how everyone’s favourite bear, Paddington, unknowingly saves Christmas for his friends and neighbours. For the first time, M&S will have a dedicated shop to support its Christmas campaign, The Paddington Shop, housing over 90 themed products, including a storybook of the advert – which is available in stores and online for £3 from November 11, with all profits donated going to the NSPCC to help fund its Childline service over the Christmas season.
The magic of Christmas with M&S doesn’t stop there. Into December, M&S’ team of in-store ‘Moment Makers’ will be surprising and delighting customers with Paddington-themed ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ – from a free marmalade sandwich in the Café, to a mood-boosting chocolate at the till.
To follow the story, simply search for #LoveTheBear on social media.