Southport’s search for The Bear and The Reindeer story is on

Southport BID is today launching its search for the official story of The Bear and The Reindeer to celebrate Christmas in Southport!

Children aged 10 and under are invited to write a short story for The Bear and The Reindeer competition.

The author of the winning entry will take home the prize of an iPad, plus £100 vouchers to spend in a Southport town centre venue of their choice. 

The winning submission will be chosen as the official story of ‘The Bear and The Reindeer’ and will be displayed in Southport Library at The Atkinson over the festive period.

The Story Writing Competition is being held to celebrate the arrival of The Bear and The Reindeer illuminated figures for families to enjoy this Christmas period.

The new character installations, provided by Southport BID, will sit either side of the sparkling 60ft LED Christmas tree in Southport’s Town Hall Gardens.

The Bear stands at over 18ft tall and the Reindeer stands at over 13ft tall, making them perfect for taking pictures with family members.

Southport’s Christmas tree, along with The Bear and The Reindeer will be installed in November.

Southport BID CEO, Rachel Fitzgerald, said: 

“We are inviting young people of Southport and the wider Liverpool City Region to enter a written story based on the characters ‘The Bear and The Reindeer’.

“We are looking forward to reading the stories that children create which will really bring alive the magic of Christmas in Southport.

“Southport is a wonderful place to spend time over the festive season with lots going on.

“The Bear and The Reindeer will build on the experience of the LED Christmas tree which is one of Southport’s most popular attractions and brings in thousands of people each year.

“They will add to more than 200,000 festive lights, the signature Christmas tree, the ‘Boulevard of Light’, lamppost motifs, overhead welcome signs, roundabout decorations and more trees across the town centre.”

Submit your story by completing the submission form here.

The Bear and The Reindeer Story Writing Competition guidelines:

●       All entrants must be aged 10 or under.

●       Only one short story can be submitted per entrant.

●       Stories must not exceed a maximum of 500 words.

●       Please do not include illustrations.

●       Submission can be typed and/or handwritten.

●       The format for submissions must be either .pdf, .doc, .jpg, or .png.

●       You must be willing for your work to be displayed at Southport Library.

●       You must be willing for your work to be used for promotional purposes by Southport BID.

●       All entries must be accompanied by permission from a parent/guardian.

●       Submissions will be assessed by a panel of judges. A shortlist of finalists will be chosen before one submission is selected as the overall winner.

●       The deadline for submissions is 4 November 2023

●       The winning and shortlisted entrants will be contacted no later than November 13 2023.Either upload your submission directly via the form or hand in a physical copy to a member of staff at the Southport Library (you must complete the consent details online).

For more on Christmas 2023 click HERE.