Storybook duo will raise cash for charity

A West Lothian author is raising money for West Lothian Foodbank.

PMGJ Storybooks for Children are raising the cash by offering 20 per cent of their sales profit from the start of January until lockdown ends.

Storytelling and illustrator duo, Paul Walsh and Graeme Young, from Mid Calder, created the company after a life-long friendship.

They understand people’s struggles right now and say they want to do something for their local community.

Paul explained:“We’ve had incredible support from the local community since we launched PMGJ Storybooks six months ago and have been looking for ways to give something back.

“Many families are struggling to get by and we felt that donating to West Lothian Foodbank would be a good start given we’re a family-focused business.

“We’ve committed 20 per cent of our sales profit during this lockdown and, people have the option to donate via our Facebook page too.

“We’re also supporting Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland (SBHS) which are an amazing charity that seek to increase public awareness and understanding of individuals with spina bifida and / or hydrocephalus.

“We just want to help make the younger kids laugh and inspire them.

“We’ll be conducting live readings and offering discounted signed books for the children supported by the charity.“

The duo created a lockdown comedy video based on one of their characters‘Chandler Jefferson,’which fully explains their charitable mission.

To view the video: https:// fb.watch/3h9leufUBx/

Screen-free days could be rolled out across all 11 high schools in West Lothian as the remote learning timetable is developed.

Livingston councillor, Peter Heggie, asked about the proposal after receiving emails from a constituent about S1 and S2 pupils in one high school having a screen free day.

Catrina Hatch, head of secondary education confirmed it was being discussed.

She said:“It is something I’ll be discussing with individual schools as a way of increasing independent learning and building in additional physical well-being activities.”

Mrs Hatch added that it was likely as a response to parent/ learner feedback that the screen-free day had been introduced and it would probably be rolled out on a school by school basis.

Surveys of remote learning, while better in West Lothian than elsewhere in Scotland, were still fairly poor in response terms from secondaries than from primaries.

Councillor Heggie said the snapshot survey had responses from only 681 parents.

“They might not represent the vast majority,”he added.

Mrs Hatch said:“Quite often we find that in secondaries we do tend to lag behind primary response. Schools are continuing to request responses from parents. I’m going to meet with all secondary heads to talk about response rate and the engagement that is taking place.”

Mrs Hatch said a number of schools had also done staff surveys and would be looking to do repeat surveys to continue to engage. Secondaries are also working on greater engagement through the parent councils.

“Lots of conversations are taking place one to one between schools and individual parents and that will continue to promote a response,”said Mrs Hatch.

West Lothian Council has congratulated pupils at one of its primary schools for their success in winning national awards for literacy.

A meeting of the full council backed a motion by local councillor Alison Adamson that the Knightsridge Primary’s “noteworthy achievements deserve special recognition and congratulations.”

Councillor Adamson’s motion said: “Winning Excellence in Literacy from Education Scotland National Literacy Awards, is just one of the recent Knightsridge PS awards. The school has been named a ‘Best Practice School’ by Education Scotland and they won a WLC Stellar Award for promoting a reading culture.

“Last year also saw their head teacher, Allison

Kennedy, become an OBE, deservedly awarded for services to education and literacy - a very popular lady with the children, their parents and school staff.

“The most recent award, one of only two given in Scotland, is the Scottish Book Trust’s Gold Reading Accreditation. It cannot be underestimated how much the children from Knightsridge PS have gained from becoming so involved in learning to appreciate the written word.

“Their enthusiasm and enjoyment is a joy to behold and they will remember their experiences long after school finishes and they go into adulthood. Council invites the school to give a presentation to elected members and invited guests involving teachers and children once covid restrictions ease sufficiently.”