Warwickshire girl crowned winner of nationwide charity competition

A local Warwickshire girl has been crowned the winner of a nationwide competition to design a Christmas card to help raise funds for the Children’s Air Ambulance (TCAA) as it celebrates 10 years of vital service.

Last year, the national children’s charity launched a competition to design a Christmas card, and with lots of amazing entries streaming in from across the country, six-year-old Rae O’Connor’s design was chosen as the winner.

The Warwickshire girl’s design depicts a very jolly snowman on a bright and colourful blue background and portrays the Christmas spirit wonderfully.

“I love drawing and think I am a good artist. We had some competition leaflets in our school, and I wanted to give it a go. It was really lovely to learn that I had won the competition and I was very excited,” said Rae.

“I can’t wait for people to buy my card and I hope it raises funds for the Children’s Air Ambulance,” she added.

The Children’s Air Ambulance – operated by The Air Ambulance Service which also operates the local Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance – is a national service which is changing the face of paediatric and neonatal care through the high-speed transfer of critically ill babies and children – flying them from one hospital to another for specialist care.

Not only will Rae’s design be showcased across the lifesaving charity, but her design has been transformed into a festive card which will be available to buy online and in stores during the festive period later this year.

Youth Development Manager for TCAA, Anoushka Brown says: “We are so happy to announce that Rae is our competition winner, we think her design is fantastic and we are excited to see people sending loved ones her card this Christmas.”

The Children’s Air Ambulance is celebrating its 10^th anniversary of providing lifesaving high-speed transfers for critically ill babies and children in 2023. To help the charity mark this momentous milestone and support it so its lifesaving missions can continue, why not visit a charity store and grab a bargain, donate preloved items, host a clothing bank, get involved in a challenge event, fundraise, make a one-off donation, or even sign up to volunteer. Your support will help to keep hope alive for patients and their families.

To learn more, or to support the charity, please visit: www.childrensairambulance.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.