Holloid partners ground breaking brain games project for English schools

As part of the new Chess for Schools initiative, Holloid Plastics is financing the manufacture and distribution of 250,000 free chess sets to 25,000 schools

July 2009: Holloid Plastics, the injection moulding specialist, is working with the English Chess Federation to increase awareness of chess in schools by sponsoring a major new nationwide initiative.

Already with 8,000 schools on board, Chess for Schools aims to provide ten free chess sets to every one of Englands 25,000 schools, enabling them to each create a chess club.

"The idea is to boost strategic thinking among our nations youth by re-vitalising chess and fostering a newfound love of this age-old brain game," says Holloid Plastics Executive Chairman, Henning von Spreckelsen.

To mark the beginning of this epic program, four local launches were held in Surrey, Hampshire and Oxfordshire in May, June and July. 50 schools attended the events and each received their free chess sets and a Resource Pack of information.  

Holloid is now moving ahead with production and organising the roll-out of the project across England. Due to the scale of the project, it will take several years to complete and Holloid has put together a specialist team devoted to working on the initiative.

Holloid estimates that the 8,000 schools signed up to the first phase of the program will receive their chess sets by the end of July 2010. The second phase will begin in September later that year.

Adds Henning von Spreckelsen: "Working with the English Chess Federation and our sponsors, we are committed to making the Chess for Schools project a resounding success. On a personal level, this project is the ideal opportunity to give something back for the support I have received from others in the past."