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Ivor the Engine's 50th birthday is being celebrated in 2009 with a new sheet of collectable Royal Mail stamps.

The stamps are raising funds for Ivor's favourite charity, SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad). It supports people in developing countries by helping them look after their working animals.

Fans of Ivor will remember Bluebell the Donkey who ambles in the Welsh fields (and features on the stamp sheet design) but Simon Pope, Communications Director at SPANA, is keen to point out that not all donkeys have it so easy.

"In many countries, working animals can suffer terrible cruelty, not because their owners don't care but because they don't know any better. And yet, without their animals, families could starve," he explains, "The funds raised by Ivor the Engine and this collectable stamp sheet will go towards veterinary treatment for working animals overseas and will fund education projects to teach better animal care".

The collectable stamp sheet features the artwork of Peter Firmin, one half of the team who created Ivor the Engine, The Clangers and Bagpuss. Mr Firmin is personally signing a limited number to raise even more funds for SPANA.

"These will be collector’s items of the future", explains award winning stamp designer, Cath Buckingham, known internationally for her philatelic designs, "We’ve been planning this project since last year but it's more poignant since Oliver Postgate sadly passed away in December. We hope it will be a fitting tribute to him."

Only 1000 stamp sheets are being issued. Each comes as a presentation pack with information card and can also be mounted ready to frame. At least £2 from every sale goes directly to SPANA.

Cath adds, "So often we have to choose between supporting charities for animals or for people. It is lovely to be able to support a charity which helps both".

For more information and ordering details, please click here

Ivor the Engine rides the rails again for veterinary charity

A brand new “Ivor the Engine” story, the first in over thirty years, was unveiled on 7th December after a unique collaboration between Ivor’s co-creator, Peter Firmin and Dan Postgate, son of the late Oliver Postgate who wrote the original Ivor stories.

With brand new illustrations by Peter Firmin and words by Dan Postgate, “Bluebell’s Christmas Mission” is set in a snow-bound Wales on Christmas Day, and will benefit the work of UK veterinary charity SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad).

SPANA provides free veterinary care to working animals like donkeys, mules and horses in some of the poorest countries of the world, and it’s fitting that the new story sees a central role for Bluebell the donkey, who figured prominently in the original Ivor stories.

The new story, entitled “Bluebell’s Christmas Mission” is available as a download from the SPANA website at www.spana.org at a cost of £3. Hard copies can be ordered online for £3.50, or by sending a cheque to SPANA at 14 John Street, London. WC1N 2EB. All profits made will help SPANA’s veterinary and education work overseas.

SPANA has had the story fully translated into the Welsh language, and this is available as a separate download from the same website or as a hard-copy by post.