Charity’s Banksy calendar helps festive appeal to exceed expectation

 Making a difference: KIND founder, Stephen Yip.
Image ©2012 Adam Wareing

KIND, a children’s charity, based in Liverpool, created their own Banksy 2012 calendar to help raise funds for their Christmas appeal.

About 1,000 of the calendars featuring the works of the controversial street artist were sold, and the proceeds went towards providing Christmas hampers to disadvantaged families across Merseyside.

Although Banksy was not directly involved, the charity’s founder, Stephen Yip, 56, from Liverpool, believes that the artist would have no objections to his work being used.

He said, slightly misquoting Banksy: “I always liked Banksy’s stuff and I think one thing that sticks in my mind is something he said about “copyright is for fools“. So I thought, well, most of this stuff is on public property, it shouldn’t be a problem producing a Banksy calendar.”

Stephen added: “So...I’d like to thank him and I’m sure he would appreciate the fact that, you know, his street art has helped a lot of families in need this Christmas.”

Banksy recently made the news with his piece “Cardinal Sin” that can be seen in Liverpool's Walker Art Gallery.

Unique: The garden at the charity's SEED centre.
Image ©2012 Adam Wareing

The KIND Christmas appeal went on to raise more than £36,000 in total, which provided almost 1,000 hampers.

The charity also delivered donated toys right up until Christmas eve.

Pearl Gormley, 61, who is a learning mentor and family liaison officer at
Wellesbourne Primary and Nursery School said: “The hampers are wonderful.”

Pearl added that KIND make a massive difference to the families referred by the school.

She also praised the work the charity does in its summer residential breaks, which are for children aged 6 -13.

And said: “We refer some of our children to go and they learn lots of essential skills.”  

Despite contributions being down from 2010’s appeal, which raised around £46,000 and supplied 1,200 hampers, Stephen claimed they had expected to be down by about half.

He said that, considering the economic climate, they did tremendously well, but sadly added that more than three hundred families had to go without a hamper, as demand exceeded supply.

Stephen, who was honoured with a Deputy Lieutenant Commission in November 2011, stated that the charity would learn from the recent appeal, and try to gain more publicity.

He added: “People are amazed that a charity our size does so much. You know…we’re not the NSPCC, we’re not Barnardo’s, but we do punch above our weight. We work and provide a service to a lot of children and families both in the city and the county as well."