7 September 2006

Design a Christmas card for charity and you could receive an early present from Santa!

The competition is being run by Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service and it’s open to people of all ages. All you have to do is send in a drawing, painting, collage or photo montage depicting a Christmas scene and an aspect of the fire and rescue service’s work.

As well as winning some great prizes, the winning designs will be turned into Christmas cards which will be sold to raise money for the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund (FSNBF).

It’s a national charity which provides assistance to serving and retired fire and rescue service staff, their families and dependants.

The competition is divided into four age groups – 6 and under, 7 to 12, 13 to 18 and 19 and over. Entries may be created with your own fair hand or the help of a computer.

Terry Ridgley, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service’s representative on the FSNBF, said: “We’re not necessarily looking for the next Picasso – just images which sum up Christmas and the fire service.

“As well as being a bit of fun for people of all ages and abilities to enter, we hope the competition will help us raise the profile of our charity and bring in some much-needed funds for it.”

The closing date for entries is 5.30pm on Monday 2 October 2006. The winners will be notified the following week and the cards will go on sale in November. You can download a full set of rules here.

Entries should be sent to: Angie Daly, Community Safety, Beaconsfield Fire Station, 2 Skelton Close, Beaconsfield, Bucks, HP9 1EA. They can also be emailed to adaly@bucksfire.gov.uk