Banburyshire mum creates superhero cartoon for 'stay at home' kids and launches Facebook activity hub

Karen Osenton - an English teacher - created the cartoon strip to help explain to her daughter Annie why she cannot see her family and friends.

She said: "I am on the government's most vulnerable list, having had a number of chronic conditions and over 10 operations, some of them life-saving.

"I am a single Mummy to my four-year-old and in normal circumstances an English teacher. However at the moment I am not allowed out even for the hour's exercise so I can't help people as I would like to.

"I desperately wanted to help as it is my nature to support people. I was also facing a tough challenge trying to explain to Annie why she can't see her Daddy, her friends and family or go to preschool. So from my kitchen in Aynho I set to work creating a hub of activities to help keep us and thousands of others active and entertained.

"In addition, I set to work developing a comic strip poster and booklet, with the aim of helping to explain to our little ones what is happening in their worlds."

The comic strip is called Fighting Coronavirus Together - Superheroes and is designed to describe the power of staying at home in defeating the virus's spread.

"In collaboration with Amin Designs in Canada, the booklet is to help explain to our little superheroes what is happening in their world at the moment," said Mrs Osenton.

"The Coronavirus pandemic, has changed their lives so quickly and we wanted to create something which would not only capture their imagination but would also serve as a talking point for their grown-ups to be able to explain how they can help defeat Covid-19.

"I started a search for a graphic designer, Amin Designs and contacted him. He was more than happy to help and he has created this free of charge. He has worked so hard and has been an absolute pleasure to work with."

Mrs Osenton's Facebook group is called Isolation Fun For Everyone.

"It is a hub where people can share their ideas for keeping busy over the coming months and offering some lighted-hearted fun, I am also helping local companies promote themselves with huge successes. I started a week ago and now have over 2.300 members," she said.

"We have exercises with Spider Man, princesses singing and reading books, magic shows, live football coaching, a senior book club, balloon modelling, creative arts and crafts for all ages, tutorials in maths, science and English, singing and dancing, piano lessons and yoga and pilates."

The Facebook page is here and the booklet can be downloaded from there.

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