BOLTON schoolchildren are being invited to design a Christmas card for charity - and win prizes for themselves and their school.

The Bolton Evening News has got together with The Market Place to run this festive competition. It is open to all local primary school youngsters - to enter via school or as individuals - to create their own original Christmas card.

Entrants must use A4 size paper, and the winning design will be the one judged the most original, with good use of colour.

The winner will receive £100 in shopping vouchers, and £250 for his or her school, and the winning design will be framed and presented in school.

All the best entries will be displayed within The Market Place, and the winning design will also be printed, and then sold there.

All the proceeds will go to Vision Aid: the remarkable Bolton-based charity which helps blind and visually impaired children all over the country.

As BEN Newspapers in Education Co-ordinator Angelina Aspinall above explained: "This is a lovely opportunity for children to show us what exciting designs they can make for Christmas, win a super prize, and really help a local charity."

All entries should be sent to: Design A Card Competition, Angelina Aspinall, Editorial Department, Bolton Evening News, Newspaper House, Churchgate, Bolton BL1 1DE, by Wednesday, October 23, 1996. The winner will be announced on the first shopping Sunday before Christmas, November 3.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.