The Book of St Helens

The project invited the children to create a guidebook to St Helens which would be shared with local stakeholders and grown-ups so they could see the town from the imagination and perspective of its young people.

The book tells its readers the things they might not remember or know about what it's like to be a young person today and asks them questions about their town and how it is changing. There's even some handy pages to make notes.

Children from Ashurst, Broad Oak Community and Rainford Church of England Primary Schools completed activity packs, designed by Andy and Beckie, with their teachers. They wrote about the places they love, the places they wish could be better and the changes they would make if they were in charge. A smaller group of editors worked with Andy and Beckie to bring hundreds of ideas together in to 32 pages of must see sights, walks, monuments and loads more.

Illustrator Rhi Moxon turned the children’s work, chosen by the editors, into maps and designs and New York based designer Will Brady put all the words and Rhi’s illustrations together and created the final book design. The children were asked to create a map which showed the safest, happiest and scariest places, and the best places to hide in their local areas. They designed a new flag and crest for the town and wrote their own introduction.

They shared the things they miss, the things they worry about and the ways they would improve their neighbourhoods. They wrote stories about what they would do if they were invisible for a day, wrote a new St Helens Town Anthem and shared their recommendations.

The Book of St Helens won an LCR Culture and Creativity Award in 2022.

200 copies of The Book of St Helens were shared with the children and people in St Helens who influence the town with messages from the children and an invitation to respond.

The Book of St Helens was printed by environmentally friendly, community owned printers MARC the Printers in Salford, who also printed Kate Hodgson’s lovely PARRTY Zine.

We also supported The Book of Brighton and Hove, a guide created by Andy and Beckie in collaboration with 200 school children, launched in May 2022 as part of Brighton Festival and Caravan 2022. Produced by LOOKOUT Brighton. Co-commissioned by Brighton Festival and caravan with Heart of Glass and LOOKOUT Brighton.