A Suffolk author has taken her stories over to India to help a charity camp supporting street children.
Gracie Wright, of Wrentham, spent three weeks travelling around India with the charity Burn 24-7, which provides a fun environment for street children in India to join in with activities and feel loved.
The aim is to get youngsters off the streets for the chance to take part in something most children in the UK get to experience every summer.
Miss Wright, the author of Silly Eric, Silly Eric and The Birthday Cake and Tea with Bea, holds her own children's camps in Southwold and Reydon each year, and wanted to share her stories with more children.
She said: 'Some of the proceeds from my books help street children in India so I wanted to see firsthand the children they help, where the money is going and how we can best facilitate their needs.
'Before we went I raised some money through JustGiving to buy some crayons, pencils and books to taker over. Some of the children had never had them before so it was a really special time.
'I talked about being silly, never giving up on your dreams and accepting people just the way they are, which is the message in my books.'
Miss Wright, a former Beccles Sir John Leman High School pupil, was meeting around 1,500 children at each camp aged from three up to 18. And along with other helpers gave talks, read out her stories, and led singing and craft activities.
She said: 'It is something we take for granted singing the songs we learnt at school, but they never get taught.
'The trip was a mixture of delight and joy but also heartache. But it really gave my comfort knowing there are such good people out there doing such an amazing job.'
Miss Wright will be holding her Silly Eric camp this summer at Saint Felix School in Reydon from August 1 to 15, for children aged four to 13.
For more information visit www.sillyeric.co.uk
Her books are still available from Beccles Books, Jarrold and The Book Hive in Norwich.
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