Companies who work with us

Openreach

Openreach maintain and work to improve the network that connects tens of millions of homes and businesses to telephone exchanges across the UK.  They do so on behalf of Communication Provider customers, who sell communication-based services to customers and businesses.  They are also leading BT's drive to make Super-fast Fibre Access available to customers across the UK.  This means that up to two-thirds of homes should be able to enjoy super-fast broadband services by 2015.

With communication at the heart of its business, Openreach is passionate about I CAN's work, and recognises how critical good communication skills are to every young child as they embark on life's journey. Working together since 2006, I CAN and Openreach have made an enormous difference to the lives of thousands of children and their families across the country.

Together we have developed two amazing educational resources for parents, Chatter Matters and Ready Steady Talk, which through our partnership, has been made available to those families who need them the most. To date over 200,000 Chatter Matters DVDs and 50,000 Ready Steady Talk activity books have been received by parents, carers and teachers.

Through Openreach's support, I CAN has reached mass audiences and raised awareness of the need to support children's communication skills from birth. This has been achieved through support of I CAN's Make Chatter Matter campaign, sponsorship of the annual Chatterbox Challenge, two innovative viral marketing campaigns, Wall of Words and Rhyme Stars, and a series of roadshows and events from 2008 – 2012.

In 2011 Openreach and I CAN launched the Communication Triathlon, a series of fun activities devised by experts to help improve THINKING, TALKING AND TEAMWORK in children aged 5-11 in primary schools.

Openreach staff play an active role in the partnership through voluntary work and participation in many athletic activities to support the work I CAN does to help children develop good communication skills.

BT Better World Campaign

Working together as strategic partners from 2006-2009, I CAN and the BT Better World Campaign made a huge impact on how children's speech, language and communication skills are supported. BT was a principle supporter of the Make Chatter Matter campaign, alongside Openreach, and helped I CAN put speech, language and communication firmly on the political and media agenda.

Together we developed Learning to Talk, Talking to Learn and The Communication Cookbook- two high quality resources designed to enable teachers and other professionals how to effectively support children's communication development. We also reached teachers, professionals and policy makers through a programme of BT sponsored conferences and exhibitions, reports and publications.

I CAN's 'Charity of the Year' partnership with HBOS raised an astounding £1.54million, enabling us to roll out our pioneering Early Talk programme. Thanks to this amazing sum, I CAN has been able to provide communication support to over 1,000 nurseries across the UK – improving provision for 150,000 children every year.

Humf

Humf is a furry thing. He is short round purple and cuddly. At three years old Humf is full of wonder at the world, and is always eager to explore the new things he sees around him. Doing things isn't always easy for Humf, whether he's trying to do a somersault, looking for his shadow or just run as fast as everyone else.

Humf and Entertainment One have partnered with I CAN for the 2012 Chatterbox Challenge and have kindly donated 200 DVD's for participants who send in their money by Friday 30th March. Humf will also be making two very special visits to nursery chains who raise the most amount of money. Look out for Humf at our Chatterbox event at the Trafford Centre in Manchester on 12th February 2012!

www.humf.tv
http://www.facebook.com/OfficialHumf

Capital Shopping Centres

Capital Shopping Centres Group PLC (CSC) is one of the UK's largest property companies, a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and a constituent of the FTSE-100 Index of the UK's leading listed companies. It is the leading UK shopping centre business with focus on prime assets including The Trafford Centre, Manchester; The Potteries, Stoke on Trent; Victoria Centre, Nottingham; Lakeside, Thurrock; Metrocentre, Gateshead; Braehead, Renfrew (Glasgow); The Harlequin, Watford and Manchester Arndale, Manchester.

CSC has been working with I CAN since 2004. CSC have rolled out many I CAN initiatives and roadshows at their centres to help spread the word about the importance of communication and how to build communication skills in children.

CSC has been a great supporter of the Chatterbox Challenge over the years and have held flagship Chatterbox events at a number of their centres. The biggest of these events was held at Victoria Centre in 2011 when I CAN achieved a Guinness World Record for the greatest amount of children singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in multiple locations.

CSC have strong links with I CAN specialist schools and have sponsored the pupils conference and have involved students from Dawn House School in flagship events.

CSC is continuing to support I CAN and 2012 will see three of their centres holding flagship events for the I CAN Chatterbox Challenge.

www.capital-shopping-centres.co.uk

Victoria Centre

Victoria Centre opened in June 1972 and now has over 120 stores including John Lewis and House of Fraser and 2,500 covered parking spaces. The Centre occupies 981,000 square feet of prime retail space and is part of the Capital Shopping Centres group.

Victoria Centre has supported I CAN since 2007 and has been a huge advocate for children's speech, language and communication since the partnership began. Victoria Centre has supported the Chatterbox Challenge for the last few years and hosted the flagship event for the 2011 record breaking event when I CAN received a Guinness World Record for the greatest amount of children singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in multiple locations.

Victoria Centre has forged strong links to I CAN's specialist school Dawn House in Nottinghamshire and have helped to spread the word about communication and its importance over the years.

In 2012 Victoria Centre will once again be supporting Chatterbox Challenge and will host an event on 23rd January 2012 featuring free face painting and a magician and lots of fun and exciting activities to highlight the importance of communication. Please come along and support us and help I CAN and the Victoria Centre.

www.victoriacentre.uk.com

The Potteries

The Potteries Shopping Centre is the focal point of shopping for the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent. Opened in 1988, the scheme was a major regeneration project and provided the catalyst for the development of retail in the city centre which now attracts shoppers from a wide area.

The Potteries Shopping Centre have been working with I CAN since 2006 and have piloted and showcased many I CAN events and road shows.

In 2012 The Potteries Shopping Centre will be holding one of three flagship Chatterbox Challenge events which will be a fun and exciting event featuring a magician, free face painting and fun and exciting activities to highlight the importance of communication. The event will take place on the 1st February 2012, please come along and support I CAN and The Potteries Shopping Centre.

www.potteries.uk.com

The Trafford Centre

From the day it opened in 1998 The Trafford Centre has been a stunning commercial success, dominating retail and leisure in the North West. This £1.6billion shopping and leisure destination attracts over 30 million visits a year. The combination of the architecture, the size and quality of the shopping and leisure offer, long opening hours, powerful advertising and the constant drive to improve the customer experience has built a commercial success that grows with every year.

The Trafford Centre is supporting I CAN for the first time since becoming part of the Capital Shopping Centres family. In 2012 The Trafford Centre will be holding one of three flagship Chatterbox Challenge events which will be a fun and exciting event featuring a magician, free face painting and fun and exciting activities to highlight the importance of communication. The event will take place on the 12th February 2012, please come along and support I CAN and The Trafford Centre.

www.traffordcentre.co.uk

HBOS Million £ Challenge

I CAN started working with HBOS in January 2006 after I CAN was voted by HBOS colleagues as its charity partner. HBOS colleagues participated in a range of activities from dress down days and celebrity raffle draws to the Great Scottish Walk and sponsored running events. HBOS colleagues also embraced I CAN's 'Big Change Day' fundraising concept which encouraged everyone to be sponsored to change something about themselves – whether it was how they travel to work, shaving their heads or growing a beard, stopping smoking or losing weight.

And every pound that was raised by HBOS colleagues was matched by the HBOS Foundation, resulting in £1.54 million in just one year!

Universal Records

I CAN's partnership with Universal records began in 2009 when Universal released Words For You featuring some of the most recognisable voices in the acting world reading famous poems set to classical music. The 27 poems featured on Words For You were recorded by Joanna Lumley, Lindsay Duncan, Geoffrey Palmer, Honor Blackman, Brian Cox, Alison Steadman, Martin Shaw, Miriam Margolyes, Lennie James, Samantha Morton, Anthony Head and Ben Whishaw.

The actors involved in the recording of Words For You generously waived their royalties in favour of I CAN. It was a worldwide success and raised over £36,000 for I CAN.

Following on from the success of the first release, Universal released Words For You - The Next Chapter on 15 November 2010 as a perfect gift for Christmas and features Meryl Streep, Terence Stamp, Helena Bonham Carter, James Earl Jones, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Dervla Kirwan, Rupert Penry Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch and Maureen Lipman. The actors involved once again generously waived their royalties in support of I CAN, enabling a percentage of all sales to be given to support children with speech, language and communication needs.

Words For You - The Next Chapter is available here.