Are you a budding writer or fancy putting pen to paper for the chance to win £50 of Meadowhall Vouchers?

The Children in Care Council are launching a summer writing challenge for Sheffield children in care and care leavers. Your writing can take any shape; it could be a short story, poem, rap or even a recipe.

With the help of local author and current Sheffield Writer in Residence Nik Perring, the Children In Care Council have decided that the focus of the writing is "This is what I am not". You can write about whatever this topic makes you think of but if your struggling or need a bit or inspiration here’s some ideas:

You could write about who others think you are, and who you REALLY are.

You could use "This is what I am NOT” as a starting point and think of 3 things you love doing, 3 facts you know about these things and then writing a statement of what you think others may wrongly think about your statements. Here's an example:

I am a dancer, I am a singer, I am cheeky (sometimes!)

To dance and sing well you need to warm up first.

I am not “a distraction to others in the class room”.

Nik has made a video giving top tips about how to start your writing and there's a helpful guide to creative writing at the bottom of this page. 

The competition will be split into 3 age groups and a winner will be chosen by Nik and a few members of the Children in Care Council from each group. To make it really fair, the judges wont know who's written each piece.

The categories are:

1.) Primary aged (5-10 years)

2.) Secondary aged (11-16 years)

3.) Care experienced (17-25)

Each winner will receive £50 in Meadowhall vouchers and an opportunity to join a small writing workshop with the writer Nik Perring himself. We are also putting together a book, so you have a chance to be published too!

The closing date for the competition is 31^st July 2020. To enter the competition you can:

• email your writing to clare.holdsworth@sheffield.gov.uk
• Post your entries to Clare Holdsworth, Children's Involvement Team, Floor 3, Howden House, Union Street, Sheffield, S1 2SH
• WhatsApp your entries to 07796 940505

Don't forget to include your name and contact details on your entry so we can get in touch with you if you win! 

Good luck; we can’t wait to see what you’ve written. 

From Sheffield Children in Care Council and Nik Perring

P.S If you were really keen you could also enter another Sheffield Young Writers Competition that Nik Mentions in his video- Love Sheffield, Luv where you can write about what you love about Sheffield  for more details have a look here  

Or there’s another competition where you use a photo as inspiration and then write from that. Using a photo could be a good place to start! 

Why not have a go!