Riviera Maritime Media's group managing editor, Edwin Lampert has written a children's book – The Adventures of Brunhilfer and Brunfin: The Flood – and is donating part of the proceeds to the OSCAR campaign, the fundraising initiative set up by Spinnaker's chairman Phil Parry, whose son Oscar received life-saving care at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The book is beautifully illustrated, straightforward to read and quirky enough to appeal to both small children (0 – 7 years) and those entrusted with reading to them! The enchanting story gently promotes community participation, loving kindness and the importance of being true to yourself.
Like Phil, Edwin's charitable initiative is inspired by personal circumstances. Edwin's dad had cancer which spread to his brain necessitating radiotherapy. A by-product of the treatment was that his father believed that the family had custody of two bears – Brunhilfer and Brunfin – who lived with them and went on various adventures.
"When my Dad died in April 2014 I wanted to find an appropriate vehicle to perpetuate his memory and also the values he upheld and felt important," explains Edwin. "A series of children’s books – with the two bears at the heart of them – struck me as the perfect medium for both."
Edwin, pictured below right, has also established a charitable trust – The Brun Bear Foundation – to administer and distribute the proceeds to a mix of charities and charitable concerns that reflect causes that were close to his father's heart. As well as The OSCAR Campaign, these include animal welfare projects (including those with special emphasis on bears); community programmes; and educational initiatives at home and abroad.
Rather than be a distraction from his day-to-day job managing and editing a fleet of industry magazines and chairing maritime conferences around the world, Edwin says that the work is complementary. "The support I have had from the industry has been overwhelming. The maritime industry really is a global community."
The book is now available to purchase online via www.ypdbooks.com and is priced at £7 – and in the process you will be supporting a range of good causes, alongside the OSCAR campaign.
Edwin can be contacted at [email protected] and via facebook.com/brunhilferandbrunfin
