The Weatherbies Ltd

The Weatherbies Ltd was established in 2009 by Yvonne Fleming. With a background in childcare and 25 years’ experience of working with children as a childminder, the idea for Weatherbies was born. The Weatherbies are a collection of kids stories based on a community of loveable, weather themed characters each with their own stories and personalities. The Weatherbies entertain, excite, and educate children. They are a community of friends who enjoy recycling, eating healthily, growing fruit and vegetables, reading books, using solar and wind power, as well as helping, playing, and sharing with others as they go about their adventures around ‘Skytown’.   The aim of the characters is to support children in making a stronger connection with the weather they see and feel outside every day. By giving weather formations names and personalities, Yvonne believes that it will assist children in becoming climate aware. Yvonne’s goal is that the Weatherbies will help comfort children, when they look to the sky and see and feel the weather, they won’t feel alone.

The Weatherbies Ltd has enjoyed consistent growth. ‘The Weatherbies’ started as a series of popular educational books whose characters are already well established and well-known to many young children.  Over the years their creator, Yvonne Fleming, has spent time visiting schools and childcare facilities, directly engaging with the pupils and teachers. In January 2022, the Weatherbies partnered with Eco Schools NI. This partnership has been a perfect fit for both the Weatherbies and Eco Schools. Quote from Eco Schools: ‘‘Eco-Schools understand the real need to begin education early around the climate crisis. However, there is a lack of resources and confidence among the teaching community to deliver lessons around Environmental Education to our younger pupils such as Early Years Foundation stage and Key Stage 1. We at Eco-Schools see real potential in the books, songs, and animated videos the Weatherbies have produced and continue to produce and are keen to help develop teacher resources to coincide with their content.’ – Charlene McKeown, Environmental Education Manager. Eco Schools runs in 72 countries around the world reaching 20 million young people globally and is managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). In Northern Ireland, it is run by the environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, which aims to inspire young children to create more resilient and healthier communities.