MARY MAGEE REPORTS

MARCH next year will be a month Rebekah Playfair will not forget.

Not only will it include her 14th birthday but as winner of the Hamleys/Rainbow Trust children's charity 'Calendar of Colours' competition 2008, a picture painted by Rebekah will be included on the March page.

But Rebekah from Seymour Hill was very surprised to hear of her success., Rebekah believed her entry was too late. She spent two weeks working on the project only to discover on July 9 that her entry had to be in the following day.

Her mother Katherine raced down to the local post office and sent it by recorded delivery.

Feeling it was too late both forgot about the competition until they received a letter in August. Rebekah was told that her winning picture will be featured in the calendar for the month of March. The calendar is currently on sale in Hamleys of Regent Street and all profits go towards Rainbow Trust.

Hamleys and Rainbow Trust launched the competition asking children to submit a picture which represents the month of their birthday and tell judges what inspired their design.

A delighted Rebekah who also won �100 worth of Hamleys vouchers said: "March is my favourite time of year when leaves grow back and the skies are blue again and my picture shows that. I used paints, stickers, beads and wee dots."

Her mum Katherine said: "I am delighted for Rebekah and it is nice for someone from Northern Ireland to win a national competiiton."

Rainbow Trust Children's Charity is a national charity that provides emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness.

mary.magee@jpress.co.uk

Ulster Star
05/10/2007