Five questions for Neil Griffiths

October 14th 2015

Neil Griffiths, former headteacher and businessman, is a successful author, storyteller, trainer and founder-member of an international educational charity. He has recently been performing his storytelling/training slots at our roadshows, the next one being scheduled for 12th November at our Birmingham premises. We caught up with Neil, when he had a spare ten minutes, to ask a few questions...

1.You spent 13 years as a primary headteacher before leaving for the Basic Skills Agency. What do you miss about teaching?

It is now 20 years since leaving my headship of a large primary school and the time has flown by. Fortunately I still get time to work in schools with children and at bookshops. However, each time I enter a school that wonderful feeling of being in a place full of eager little minds comes hurtling back. I miss the everyday hustle, bustle and general busy atmosphere that dominates school life and the fact that no day is ever the same. Perhaps most of all I miss the seasonal changes during a school year: Autumn with conkers and leaf displays everywhere, Winter with Xmas parties and productions, Spring with planting bulbs and the Easter bonnet parades and Summer with sports day and leavers assemblies. Oh yes and I really miss hearing the whole school saying "Good morning" to me in assembly!

2. Following your stint at the BSA, you started producing Storysacks, combining books and storytelling aids, and became a successful businessman. How and when did you form the idea?

I had by total chance signed myself up to go on a course in London to look at a new initiative called Family Literacy. The course filled my head with ideas and thoughts. On the train coming home whilst eating a doughnut the word 'storysack' came into my head. Thanks to an amazing group of parents 90 homemade sacks were created. The idea caught the attention of the teaching profession as a result of a short article in a magazine and before long had swept the nation. I left teaching and created a small company to produce and mail out commercially made sacks and it soon grew to employ nearly 30 staff. They are now sold all over the world and I sold the company in 2013.

3. Having sold the Storysack company, you now focus on storytelling and training in schools, and have performed at our roadshows – what do you enjoy most about this?

Training has now become my total passion and nothing gives me more pleasure than interacting with an audience. I was born to be with people and love meeting new faces all over the world. When you have a lot of energy and enthusiasm for a subject as I do, for Developing a Love of Reading, then all you ever want to do is get out there and share it! I love the challenge of meeting a new audience and trying to inspire them.

4.You have also set up a charity to help resource impoverished schools in The Gambia – how does that work? 1

10 years ago I was lucky enough to make a visit to The Gambia following the death of my partner. It was hoped that this would help me find a focus for a new challenge in my life. In fact it changed me for ever. I was so moved by the resilience and determination of the Gambians I met and the sheer joy of being with such happy contented children.

Schooling is very limited in The Gambia, as is life expectancy and I knew that with a life-time of experience in education I must have something to offer. Well 10 years on with the help of dear friends we now support 5 Pre Schools for 5 to 7 year olds, providing salaries and resources. We also run training each year and with the wonderful teachers in our schools have written the first Gambian Pre School Curriculum. Our next visit is in November when we will be setting up outdoor sandplay areas, developing Physical Education and building Goat Proof fences around each schools gardens! Visiting The Gambia has become my annual tonic and helps restore my faith in mankind!

5. On top of all of that you also write books! When do you find the time?

I adore writing and thanks to a wonderful father who read to me every night have an endless head of ideas! I lead a very disciplined life so rarely waste time and in fact everyone moans that I am never still. As I travel a lot my best ideas come on trains and planes and I have a pad by the bed as lots come to me in the middle of the night! My next book is published in February by Red Robin Books and is my first paperback for 8 and 9 year olds about a dog you will never forget!

Thank you Neil!