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Can you make a celebrity scarecrow in support of seriously ill children?

Kent residents are being encouraged to make scarecrows that resemble their favourite celebrity and enter them into an online competition

Julia Brigui

By Julia Brigui

Several celebrity scarecrows have been made for The Play Well Trust - can you tell who they are?

Submitted by Sarah Vaughan

Non-profit organisation The Play Well Trust has launched The Celebrity Scarecrow Competition, asking people to see if they can make a scarecrow of their favourite celebrity.

Entries will be judged by BBC Radio Kent’s Anna Louise Walter and Children’s author Ruth Doyle.

The Play Well Trust is a non-profit organisation based in Wingham, Kent, which promotes the benefits of play for children and families where a child has a serious illness and supports them by sending feel better boxes containing an array of bespoke therapeutic play activities.

In 2019 the Play Well Trust sent 22 feel better boxes to children and families across the UK. 73 per cent of the families they supported are affected by childhood cancer. Word spread quickly, and this year demand has soared.

Founder of The Play Well Trust, Sarah Vaughan said: “I’m really excited to launch the competition. It will help us raise some much-needed funds so that we can continue to help children and families through therapeutic play and support them in a time of crisis. It will also be a fun project for people whilst we’re all still in lock- down.

"My children have kick-started the campaign with scarecrow versions of Diane Buswell, from Strictly Come Dancing, and broadcaster Chris Evans. Diane Buswell even got in touch with us on Instagram to say how much she loved hers.”

Prizes on offer include one of The Play Well Trust’s brand new Creative Feel Better Boxes, full of all sorts of art and craft materials, and a sketchbook from the children’s illustrator, Jennie Maizels.

The competition is open to anyone in the UK until July 6. It costs £5 to enter and all funds will go directly towards making more feel better boxes to support seriously ill children and their families.

More details about the competition and The Play Well Trust can be found here.