Mandy Fletcher

In character ready for my Believe in Magic story to take centre stage with Westholme School @KingGeorgesHall We have 900 children watching this morning.

My vision is finally coming to life! I wasn’t going to let leaky roofs or burst pipes stop me. Real Indie Bookshop @RIndieBookshop opens in Harrogate on 12th November, from 8am to 9pm. Come and say hello to help celebrate the opening of my new independent bookshop. Everyone’s welcome! Pianist Ciaran Gilligan will be playing from 5-9.00pm (normal opening hours 8-6.00pm)

Nearly there with @RIndieBookshop Countdown to opening 12th November! I'm excited to announce that the fabulously talented Ciaran Gilligan will be adding pizzazz to our opening! We are also excited to be welcoming a number of indie and traditionally published authors who will be dropping in throughout the day to sign books! I will update you with the list soon!

Great progress day @KingGeorgesHall discussing the set and arrangements for my Believe in Magic story (and song). We are sold out for the daytime production taking place on 10th Nov. Places are available for the evening, here’s the link. bwdvenues.com/whats-on/belie…

Another visit to the @RIndieBookshop today, and another armful of books! The opening has been slightly delayed, but excited to officially open doors on 12th November. It's been wonderful receiving so many books from indie writers and publishers. I'm proud to be creating a bookshop where independents sit alongside popular and bestselling titles. Lots still happening behind the scenes, hence the hard hat and high vis!😂

We celebrated National Literacy Day and National Year of Reading in Keighley Library with @AttieLime @bendavis_86 , @Adisapoet Donavan Christopher (Rappamanan).@ChildrensLFests Big thanks to all the staff in Keighley Library, and our fabulous volunteer Sue Taylor. Thank you @KeighleyCouncil for helping to fund the festival. @Go_All_In_2026 @Literacy_Trust

Lovely morning for 10k number 15 in Roundhay Park, Leeds. Just 25 more to complete to celebrate 40 years of Childline @NSPCC. I’m hoping to raise £40k and currently at £7,130. If you would like to join the team or make a donation, follow the link.🤗💚 Huge thanks to all who have donated. justgiving.com/team/listenup…

Interesting article by Simon Heffer @Telegraph Quote: All over Britain, and not just in Middlesbrough, disaffected young people - those from dysfunctional families, with poor educational records and no settled employment - are vulnerable to recruitment by "county lines" drug dealing operations. "Organised crime" has become synonymous with this. telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08…

So very sad to hear that @DollyParton has died. Dolly wasn’t only a music legend; she inspired many children through her imagination library and gifted so much of her wealth to charities to help others. #RIPDollyParton 🌸🌹

Great day yesterday for run number 13 at the #York10k. I’m celebrating 40 years of @NSPCC #Childline with 40 x 10k’s. I’ve managed to recruit a few runners along the way. Total raised so far: £6,625 with a target of 40k. If you would like to help give children a lifeline, here’s a link to join the team.🤗💚 justgiving.com/team/listenup…

Reflecting on the past two weeks, as Small Charity Week comes to a close, I organised the ninth Blackburn with Darwen Children & Young People's Literature Festival @ChildrensLFests Alongside sixteen talented authors, poets, and illustrators, we engaged with over 5,500 children and young people. The highlight was definately the legend @MichaelRosenYes wowing four hundred children in the @ExchangeBBurn, but also working together with so many talented artists to deliver engaging sessions that will have lasting impact and help to inspire. The core mission of my festivals is to focus on areas of deprivation and need. While literature festivals are held in more affluent areas, I strive to make them more accessible for those who may not have the means to participate. My goal is for children and young people to enjoy interactive experiences with the artists, rather than simply promoting book sales, as many families struggle to afford. That's why I actively seek funding to help. Since 2017, we have gifted over 32,000 books, and engaged with over 48,000 children and families. I launched the first Blackburn festival in 2017, and have since organsied three festivals in Keighley, one in Oldham, and three in Selby. This included two streamed during the Pandemic, and a hybrid event from Selby Abbey in July 2021 before full lockdown was removed. (where there's a will, there's a way!) If you are an organisation who would like to help with funding a project that is making a REAL difference, please email me: [email protected] @NCVO @Go_All_In_2026

Thank you so much to the directors of the People's Book Prize for recognising the value in this work. This is a great accolade to all the published writers. Huge thanks to all the children and young people who submitted work for this anthology. This voluntary inititive was part inspired by a student from Rossett High in Harrogate, who submitted a poem to North Yorkshire Police, after a session i delivered with them. After delivering sessions into hundreds of schools, I was shocked at the lack of education surrounding county lines exploitation and related knife crime after hearing so many distressing real life stories while working on my commissioned projects, making our children and young people more vulnerable. I recieved poems and lyrics from across the UK, including children and young people who have been exploited. This initiative was a great way to give children and young people a voice. Special thanks to North Yorkshire Police @YMCALincs , and Dean Coady OBE SRMC for believing in my mission and assisting me with funding. Huge thanks to all the judges from various ranks in policing, victims of exploitation, youth workers, social workers, parents, carers, and spoken words artists who have all supported me, including Tracey Holdsworth NSPCC, and Sandra Baah at Catch22 charity. Thanks to the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) for their continued support with this project. Listen Up has so far raised £3,200 for @NSPCC Childline: justgiving.com/team/listenup…

Wonderful to meet the team @WestholmeSchool today as we worked on bringing my story, Believe in Magic, to life on stage @KingGeorgesHall. I presented the lyrics for the theme song that complements my poem, which will be woven throughout the production. I can't wait to share more updates soon! We will #BelieveInMagic ✨