King George The 3rd Comes to Life in Community Storybook

A much-loved statue overlooking the seafront in Weymouth has inspired an ambitious community project — and now more than 90 local schoolchildren are hoping the public can help bring their artwork to print.

For the past six months, volunteer Kris from Weymouth museum has been working with pupils across three local schools, helping children aged 7 to 11 illustrate a 57-page children’s story written by another volunteer. The book is due to be shared at a community event planned for June 2026.

The story centres on King George III, who has stood proudly on his plinth by the seafront for more than 200 years. In the story, the King is feeling a little forgotten, watching generations pass by without so much as a wave. What follows is a joyful, locally rooted adventure in which the community comes together to remind George that he is very much still loved.

Alongside the King, young readers meet a cast of colourful characters imagined by the children, including Sydnee, an unusual talking seagull with a French mum and English dad, and Lily, a purple-haired skateboarder with a heart of gold who seems to know everyone in town.

“The children absolutely adore this story,” says Kris. “They’ve poured their hearts into the drawings, and they’re desperate to see their pictures printed in a real book. It would mean the world to them.”

Despite being a constituted, non-profit community group, repeated applications for funding have so far been unsuccessful. Grants have closed, ceased or fall outside the project’s timeline.

With printing costs now the only thing standing in the way, Kris has launched a public appeal to help make this dream a reality.

Supporters are invited to contribute whatever they can via the project’s fundraising page:
👉 https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-kings-dip-project

“I desperately don’t want to disappoint the children,” Kris explains. “Just a few thousand pounds is all that’s needed to get this into print. I’ll keep looking at other avenues — I never give up — but time is ticking, and I’d love to see this happen before I pop my clogs!”

“This is about history, creativity, and community — told through the eyes of children,” says Kris. “If you love a good local story with heart, you can help make this one real.”