A children’s story book designed to teach children and parents/guardians in rural areas how to approach change in a positive way has released in an audiobook format – and is (fittingly) voiced by a farming family.
The book, Sir Port, has been developed by The Farming Community Network (FCN) charity and New Zealand author Pauline McLeod and is supported by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust.
The audiobook version of Sir Port has been recorded by professional voice actor Paul Dela Ross, alongside members of his farming family in Yorkshire.
The book follows the adventures of Sir Port, the beloved family dog, during a particularly heavy flood that causes havoc on the farm.
The story focuses on three generations of the family – the son, Oliver; his mother and father; and their Granny – and shows how they respond during the flood, taking care of their animals and focusing on a brighter day tomorrow when the sun rises again.
The cast includes:
- Paul Dela Ross as Sir Port the family dog and ‘dad’
- Georgina Lamb as Granny and ‘mum’
- Jacob Sykes as Oliver
- Production and sound by Lewis Wheelhouse
The book has been developed in response to changes across agriculture – including transformative policy changes, the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and climate change – to help young children understand the stress uncertainty can cause families and help them develop a positive way of interpreting this.
Since launching in late 2021, over 2,000 copies of the book have been circulated to farming families across England and Wales.
The Farming Community Network (FCN) is a voluntary organisation and charity that supports farmers and families within the farming community through difficult times. FCN helps approximately 6,000 farmers and farming families each year with a wide range of issues, including mental health, family disputes, animal disease and financial concerns.
Alex Phillimore, Head of Communications and Development at FCN, said: “Having Paul and the family bring Sir Port to life has been an incredible adventure. The characters almost jump off the page in the audiobook version, and we knew it was only right that farmers voice the colourful cast. Finding creative ways to engage with young people in rural communities and promote a positive attitude towards change is important as UK agriculture undergoes significant transformation in the coming years. We hope readers – and listeners – will take something positive away from Sir Port’s adventure.”
Pauline McLeod said: “We can’t stop the weather but we can equip people to navigate storms and see the sunshine in the park. I hope readers take away a positive message from this book and develop resilience skills to help them manage change and weather the storms they may face personally.”
A copy of ‘Sir Port’ is also available to download as an e-book here: https://fcn.org.uk/sir-port/
To request physical copies email help@fcn.org.uk. FCN would request a donation is made to help cover the cost of physical prints and postage.