With our long history, iconic brand and strong footprint in communities across the Island of Ireland Eason aspires to have a positive impact on our local communities and build positive life-long relationships with people in our communities.
Our sustainability strategy is centred on four key pillars: Workplace, environment, marketplace and community.
Promoting Literacy, Reading and Creative Development
We’re very proud of our literacy programme, which sets out to help improve and increase levels of literacy across the Island of Ireland, raise awareness of the positive benefits of reading and writing and inspire creative learning and development. Our literacy programme includes a range of different initiatives including:
Spelling Bee
The Eason Spelling Bee was launched in 2011 and has grown every year with over 1,100 schools registered to take part in 2016. The nationwide competition is part of an overall Eason literacy and reading initiative that aims to inspire children to develop a greater appreciation of words in a fun and educational way, and to encourage them to perfect their spelling and pronunciation skills. The ultimate spelling contest starts out with registered schools holding their own in-school bee to find their school champion. The Spelling Bee team then travel around the country to hold the County Final Bees, which then leads to four Provincial Finals culminating in the All-Ireland Final in June. The All-Ireland winning school receives a mountain of books for their library to the value of €7,500 and the winner themselves will be awarded a goodie package full of books worth €500 and the prestigious title of the 2016 Eason Spelling Bee champion. Keep up to date with all the 2016 Spelling Bee news on www.easons.com/spellingbee and @easons #EasonSpellingBee .
Eason Creates Writing
Is a campaign providing a platform for secondary level students across the country to become one of Ireland’s newest published authors! Eason encourages students across Ireland to get their creative hats on and share their imagination in the written word. The competition is open to all 2nd level students by submitting a short story, on a subject of their choice. The winner is chosen by a panel of book experts with the winning school receiving a collection of books for their school library!
Eason Creates Design
Eason wants to find Ireland’s next top student designer and give them the opportunity to showcase their work online and in stores throughout Ireland. Third Level students are invited to design an original pattern for use on a fresh new range of Eason Stationery. Our contemporary new range of fashion stationery will be produced in high quality materials and finishes, and the winning designer will have the chance to be involved in the production of the stationery line. The winning design will be printed on a wide range of stationery items which will be available in Eason stores throughout Ireland and online on www.easons.com
Get into Reading Story Time
Every Saturday in participating Eason stores around the country, we host our Get Into Reading Story Time, where we read a selected kids book to children aged from 0-6. ‘Get into Reading’ is a countrywide campaign with children’s literacy and the benefits of reading and storytelling at its heart.
The initiative draws on the importance of reading from a young age and the role of the parent in nurturing their child's love of the written word.
Fighting Words
In 2015 Eason announced details of a new charity partnership with Fighting Words, a creative writing centre. The partnership will raise funds over a three year period, through an annual donation by Eason and other fund-raising initiatives such as charity tins in Eason’s 64 stores throughout the country.
Founded in 2009 by Booker Prize winning author Roddy Doyle and Sean Love, Fighting Words aims to provide primary and secondary level students with the chance and space to explore their imaginations through free creative writing workshops, whilst also helping to improve self-expression, literacy, self-esteem and self-confidence. There are also dedicated sessions for children and adults with special needs.
Speaking at the announcement Roddy Doyle said, “When I think of Eason, I think of books. I think of a book token I won when I was a teenager and the two books I got from Eason on O'Connell Street with that token; Catch 22 by Joseph Heller and At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien. They were the books that made me want to be a writer. So, more than forty years later, I'm delighted that Eason is partnering with Fighting Words, as we try to encourage our next generation of writers.”