Christie Park Primary School in Glasgow has taken part in ScottishPower’s annual Swap Shop, helping to raise more than £900 so far for children’s charity Aberlour.

ScottishPower’s Swap Shop initiative is designed to encourage reading and raise money for charity and throughout June schools across Scotland took part in the programme.

Christie Park Primary School will now be in with a chance to win a visit from a leading children’s author who will be participating in the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

In 2011, Port Ellen Primary School on the Isle of Islay was selected as the winner and the school received a visit from acclaimed author Vivian French.

ScottishPower encouraged schools to sign up to host their own Swap Shop for pupils to exchange books and donate 50 pence per swap. The money raised is donated to 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.  Over £900 has been raised so far this year.

Ann Loughrey, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at ScottishPower, said: “It is fantastic that Christie Park Primary School participated in this year’s Swap Shop and raised much needed funds for Aberlour in the process.

“Now in its fourth year, this award winning programme has already seen over 5,500 book swaps as well as donating thousands of pounds to local charities and we would like to thank all the schools that participated in 2012.”

Sadie McKinlay, Sponsorship and Development Manager at the Edinburgh International Book Festival said: ““The response to the Swap Shop has been amazing. The Edinburgh International Book Festival is delighted to be working with ScottishPower on this initiative and we look forward to finding out which school has won, and arranging the author’s visit to meet the pupils and teachers.”

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

Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of ScottishPower.

For more information please contact:

Eleanor Marshall
0141 333 9585 / 07974 214 438
eleanor.marshall@bigpartnership.co.uk

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