Perthshire pupils benefit as Stagecoach director turns children’s author

Oct 18 2011 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

PERTHSHIRE schools have been boosted by a donation of books written by a Big County au

The Perth-based Stagecoach Group gifted £1000 worth of children’s titles written by one of the company’s non-executive directors to primary schools across the area.

Author Helen Mahy – who is also a member of the Stagecoach Group Board – wrote the entertaining collection of stories about her springer spaniel Basil.

After initially writing the stories for her husband’s grandchildren, she decided to publish ‘The Adventures of Basil’ book series as part of the Young Offenders Programme which offers training and work opportunities to offenders in 22 prisons across the country.

The series of books was officially launched at Reading Young Offenders’ Institute, which was one of six prisons where inmates helped provide illustrations for the stories.

Stagecoach has spent £1000 on hundreds of the Basil books for Big County schools and Ms Mahy handed them over to Perth and Kinross Council’s lifelong learning convener Liz Grant and Alison Irvine, PKC’s head of children and families’ services.

The writer said: “When I was walking my dog we would come across other animals and I would start to imagine the conversations he might have.

“The books are written to be fun for children but also fun for adults. I’m delighted they’ve been so well-received and I hope children at schools across Perth will enjoy reading all about the adventures of Basil.”

Cllr Grant said: “We are very pleased to accept this kind donation from Helen and Stagecoach Group.

“We work hard to promote the pleasure and benefit that children can gain from reading and I am sure our pupils will enjoy these new additions to their school libraries.”

Profits from sales are being donated to the Special Olympics Great Britain charity.

There are six books in the ‘Adventures of Basil’ series containing 12 stories in total.