I’ve been asked to write all kinds of commissioned stories from Healthy Eating to Mindfulness for children. I love all of the projects I am involved with. It’s so important to get it right so the client is happy with the end result. At the end of the day, they want to see their ideas portrayed in a story that’s easily accessible by children.
Earlier this year I met with the Colleran family who tragically lost their son Bobby in a terrible accident outside his school in October 2014. In their words “We were a normal family until that day.”
Obviously, that day changed their lives and although their experience is the stuff of nightmares, they set up the Bobby Colleran Trust to help raise awareness of road safety around schools. Around Liverpool there are bumper stickers carrying their mantra everywhere “Slow Down For Bobby“. This is a phrase the city is familiar with. You can find out more at their facebook page www.facebook.com/slowdownforbobby
When I met the family in January they wanted to know if I could write a bespoke story for them. They wanted the story to feature Bobby as the main character, as a sort of super hero who reminds children about road safety.
I can’t deny I was nervous. This would be the most important thing I’d written to date (and would probably ever write). I gathered all the information I could from the family and set about bringing their wish to life.
When I took the first draft around to the family, Mum, Dad, Harry, Frankie and Georgie all sat and looked at me as I started the story. Would they like it? Would it have captured the Bobby they knew and loved so well? Would it get across the important message they wished? I have to admit I was more nervous about this story than anything else I’ve ever written.
Thankfully the family loved it! The exact words of Harry were “It’s boss!” and as anyone with Junior school aged children knows, that is praise of the highest order.
So what now? We aim to launch the book in September 2016 and will make sure that every school in Liverpool receives a copy. The book will also be available for people to buy from selected outlets across the city. All of the profits will be ploughed back into the trust to promote road safety.
We hope you’ll buy a copy and share it with your children. We hope it will help to keep children safe on the roads around their school and city.
Thanks for reading.
For more information please contact The Bobby Colleran Trust or me at littlelambphonics@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/JudeLennonAuthor
