I’ve always loved a good story. When I was young, my favourite television programme was Jackanory, and I inhaled books from the moment I could read. The stories in those books fed my imagination, inspired the best daydreams, expanded my vocabulary, helped me learn to express myself, and gave me confidence. My favourite part of any family holiday was the pre-holiday trip to Waterstones, where we could choose whatever books we wanted. The only rule was that we had to choose enough books to keep us entertained while we were away. Heaven!
But so what, I hear you cry. You already know that I’m all about the stories. Well, here’s the thing. Recently I’ve been wondering about purpose. Because my sense of purpose has been feeling a bit low. This business feels a little narrow and I’d like to find more ways to help more people to be as awesome online as they are in real life. So I have plans for that, and they’ll be coming soon. But there’s something else I’d like to do. I’ve been reading a book about a company called TOMS. They started off making shoes, and for every pair of shoes they sold, they donated a pair of shoes to a child in need of some. They’ve since expanded their range of products, but the principle remains the same: for every unit sold, someone benefits: one for one.
And that’s what I’d like to do with stories. For every story I help someone tell, I want to give the gift of a story to a child who doesn’t have access to the stories I had access to. Not everyone has as blessed a childhood as I did, with parents who can buy them books and take them to the library every week. So for every blog post I write for another business, for every Blogging Toolkit, or monthly membership I sell, I want to give the gift of a story to one child. One for one.
So how will I do this? Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve contacted the Scottish Book Trust and asked if they know of any small projects I can support. And now I’m putting the idea out into the world. I’m looking for a small project to support with books for children of any age. And then who knows what’ll happen and where we’ll go?! Can you help me?