Where The Trade Buys has launched a ‘When We Were Apart Yearbook’ in order to help school children hold on the precious memories of the lockdown.

Whilst some primary children have returned to the classroom, in accordance with the updated lockdown rules announced by Boris Johnson, many are still cautiously planning what the ‘new’ normal will look like after the school summer holidays.

Despite being apart from the teachers and peers, children’s creativity has continued to flourish across the nation. Thousands of rainbows and other artistic pieces have appeared in windows around the country — a testament to the upbeat mindset and strong community spirit that is still thriving here in the UK. Now is the time to record these precious memories so that they can be treasured by children, teachers, and families for years to come.

Yearbooks from Where The Trade Buys will work as a collective memory for schools and pupils. To get involved, simply collect creative responses from pupils (whether that be a drawing, a story, or a photograph — anything that reflects their unique experience of lockdown life), send them in to Where The Trade Buys. They will be professionally printed, bound, and returned to you so that you can distribute the books to parents.

Gary Peeling, Chief Executive Officer, at Where The Trade Buys, said: “A ‘When We Were Apart Yearbook’ is the perfect way to collect precious memories of this time and treasure them for years to come. We wanted to make sure there is plenty of flexibility in the design, so that each school can create something completely unique! Kids are missing their friends, teachers, missing school activities, and are wanting to express themselves however they can.”

He added: “We have a lot to thank our children and students for during these difficult times, so let’s make sure they never forget the role they played in supporting others during lockdown.”

The saddle stitched books are A4 and you can choose from 8, to 68 pages (including cover). You can decide between portrait and landscape orientation and mono or colour printing. Where The Trade Buys also offers a variety of finishes, including 120gsm Uncoated paper, 130gsm silk, 170 gsm gloss, and many more options.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Where The Trade Buys has also teamed up with Prime Group to produce face masks for NHS essential workers, as well as creating a range of paper clappers to bolster support for the nationwide ‘Clap for our Carers’ initiative.