On Your Marks, Sharpen Your Pencils Get Set And Go! Sally Gunnell OBE Starts Royal Mail’s Annual Letter Writing Competition
22nd September 2011
- Royal Mail invites children to write a letter about what the Olympics means to them
- More information available at www.royalmailgroup.com
- Closing date for entries 25 November 2011
On your marks, sharpen your pencils, get set and go as today (22 September) Sally Gunnell OBE starts the race to find the UK’s best young letter writer.
The theme of Royal Mail’s Young Letter Writing Competition is what the Olympics means to me. The competition is open to children between the ages of seven and 11. The first hurdle for children to clear is to get their thinking caps on and put pen to paper. The finishing line is the closing date of 25 November 2011, with winners announced in Spring 2012.
Olympic Gold Medallist, Sally Gunnell, who launched the competition and will also help judge the national winner, said: “I’m looking forward to reading lots of imaginative and fun letters about what the Olympics means to the nation’s children, and I’m hoping to see some truly original and personal insights.
“Letters can be just one or two pages and they can be illustrated with drawings and pictures, so come on kids, flex those creative muscles and remember you have to be in it to win it.”
The competition will run with 10 heats across the UK with the overall national winner chosen from the heat winners. The national winner’s letter will be entered into the Universal Postal Union’s international Olympic letter writing competition next year.
The prize for the overall winner will be a weekend in London for four people where the winner will receive their award from Sally Gunnell on the morning of Monday 19th March 2012.
More information on how to enter can be found at /news/young-letter-writing or by calling 0151 284 1221.
Entries should be sent by 25 November 2011 to:
FREEPOST, Royal Mail’s Young Letter Writing Competition, 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0HQ
Ends
For further information contact:
Ruth Barker. Royal Mail Press Office, 100 Victoria Embankment, LondonEC4Y 0HQ, Tel: 0207 250 2468/07587 888841
NOTES TO EDITORS
About the Competition
The competition is open to all children in the UK aged 7-11 and is being promoted in all primary schools. There is an additional ‘Special Achievement’ category for children whose teachers or parents/guardians feel have overcome exceptional experiences or difficulties to enter.
Royal Mail is looking for original and imaginative letters – children can write a letter to their favourite Olympic sportsperson, past, present or future, real or imaginary, or about something or someone who more personal to them who they feel has made an Olympic sizes effort..
Judges will look for originality, freedom of expression and creativity in the letter content. The content is as important as presentation; while entries should follow the basic letter format judges will take age into consideration.
Heats and Prizes
The competition will run with 10 heats across the UK with the overall national winner chosen from the heat winners. The national winner’s letter will be entered into the Universal Postal Union’s international Olympic letter writing competition next year.
There will be ten heats with one overall winner chosen from those 10 finalists. There will be winners for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, North West, North East, London, South East, Anglia, Midlands and South West.
The prize for the overall winner will be an all expenses paid weekend in London for four people and £200 in postal orders.
Winners of the heats will each receive £100 in vouchers and a selection of Royal Mail stamps, stationery and pin badges to share with their class.
Heat runner-up prizes are £50 in vouchers, a set of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games stamps.
Additional letters which judges rate as Highly Commended or Special Achievement will receive a £25 voucher and a set of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games stamps.
Certificates for all entrants
Teachers and parents can download and print a Letter Writing Certificate from Royal Mail’s Website to present to every child who enters the competition and writes a letter.
For more details of how to enter and prizes visit: /news/young-letter-writing
