In 2014, environmental entrepreneur Evan Lewis bought an ageing run-down factory producing pencils from recycled CD cases. After 18 months of hard work, the facility was producing far more pencils than it needed - one million a year more to be precise!

Looking for a way to use the excess pencils for good, Evan started VENT to help some of the millions of children worldwide missing out on the education they deserve.

"Pencils are the most iconic educational tool going back centuries and I wanted to do something with them" - Evan Lewis

VENT's Ambassador for Change programme sends pencils to volunteers working overseas so they can hand them out in communities that need them. Sometimes it’s all a child needs to access education. 

Through their Bright Futures Campaign, they give 5% of their net sales to help raise funds for essential education and school projects run by Plan International UK, a children's charity that has been supporting vulnerable children globally for over 75 years. Plan's on-going projects include getting children back to school after Covid-19, teaching women to become teachers and supporting girls through to the end of their education.

As well as supporting children's education projects, VENT is committed to protecting the environment. Their products are not only beautiful, but are made from recycled materials and FSC certified paper.