Robert Douglas Memorial School in Perth has been selected as the winner in a nationwide reading competition.

The school is celebrating its win in the annual ScottishPower Swap Shop initiative and is now looking forward to receiving an exclusive visit from leading children’s author, Jonathan Meres, who participated in this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Now in its fourth year, the award winning ScottishPower Swap Shop competition is designed to promote reading and raise money for charity by encouraging schools to host their own Swap Shop for pupils to exchange books and donate 50 pence per swap.

Along with primary schools across Scotland, Robert Douglas Memorial School took part in the competition.  The school raised £185.00 out of the total £922.63 for Aberlour Child Care Trust, a children’s charity that provides help to over 6,000 of Scotland’s most vulnerable children, young people and their families each year.  

Robert Douglas Memorial School was selected at random from the participating schools to win the prize visit from author Jonathan Meres, who will talk to the pupils about his books to inspire literacy and creativity amongst them.

Dugald F Campbell, Headteacher at Robert Douglas Memorial School, said: “The pupils and staff are pleased to have won the ScottishPower Swap Shop. The event was a big success and the pupils really enjoyed taking part.  To win a visit from an author is an added bonus.

“The ScottishPower competition was a good way to encourage children to read and raise money for charity and it also fits well with our Eco-school aspirations to ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.’ Our pupils are all eager to meet Jonathan Meres.”

Ann Loughrey, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at ScottishPower, said: “The ScottishPower Swap Shop helps to engage pupils in reading by adding an element of fun.  It provides a great opportunity for interaction, whilst raising much needed funds for Aberlour at the same time.

“We are extremely pleased to announce Robert Douglas Memorial School in Perth as the winner in this year’s competition and we are sure that the visit from Jonathan Meres will be a great success.”

Sadie McKinlay, Sponsorship and Development Manager at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “Jonathan is the perfect author for a school visit, his ‘World of Norm’ novels take a very humorous look at family and school life.  His events at the Festival are always very popular and his performance based presentations are a real highlight of the children’s programme.”

Jonathan Meres is an Edinburgh based author, actor and comedian.  His latest series, The World of Norm, is perfect reading for youngsters aged from 9 years and takes an irreverent look at family life, friendships and school.

Karen McMurrich, Aberlour’s Director of Marketing, Fundraising and External Affairs, said: “It’s brilliant for Aberlour to be involved in such a great initiative which lets children and young people swap their old books while raising funds for charity.  We’re really grateful for all the effort that the schools have put in, and the money which they’ve raised. Thank you.”

Swap Shop is a national reading challenge run by ScottishPower in partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, to celebrate the energy company’s official sponsorship of the festival.

For more information on ScottishPower log onto www.scottishpower.com and for more details about the Edinburgh International Book Festival please visit www.edbookfest.co.uk. For more information on Aberlour, visit www.aberlour.org.uk

Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of ScottishPower.

For further media information please contact:

Kay McCarthy
0141 333 9585 / 07974 214 438
kay.mccarthy@bigpartnership.co.uk

Roanna Katz
0141 333 9585
roanna.katz@bigpartnership.co.uk