A SCHOOLGIRL from Bridgwater has won a national competition to create a character to go on fruit and vegetable snack packs sold in Lidl stores across the country.

The supermarket chain joined forces with charity partner, the NSPCC, to invite children across the country to design a figure for the packaging of its Oaklands Fun Size snack tomatoes and cucumbers.

A shortlist of competition entries was drawn up and put to a national vote on Lidl’s social media channels.

And the winner of the new design for snack tomatoes was eight-year-old Alana O'Neill from Bridgwater with her character, Tawny Tomatowl.

Lidl is aiming to raise £250,000 for the NSPCC in January by donating 10p from the sale of every pack from its special range of fruit and vegetables for children.

The promotion, running on all Oaklands Fun Size products, is part of the supermarket’s commitment to raise £3 million over three years for the children’s charity’s school service.

Alana says: “I'm really excited that my character is going to be on packs of snack tomatoes in all Lidl stores across the country.

"It was great seeing Tawny Tomatowl on a big billboard.”


WINNER: Alana with Stephen Nutt, from the NSPCC  

In addition nine-year-old Joe, from Swindon, won the competition to create the new design for snack cucumbers with his character, Cucumbear.

Both of the winning designs will feature on the packaging for the products and will appear on billboards at their local Lidl stores.

Lidl has been working with the NSPCC for over a year and has already raised more than a million pounds for the charity’s Speak out. Stay safe service.

The programme aims to teach a generation of children about the different types of abuse, recognise the signs, and identify a trusted adult they can speak to if they have a concern.

More than 120 schools across Somerset, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset were visited by the NSPCC’s Schools Service team in 2017/18, learning the Childline number, 0800 1111, that they can call at any time of the day or night.

Trained volunteers and staff members delivered assemblies and workshops to more than 25,000 children in the three local education authority areas to help keep them stay safe from abuse and neglect, with the help of mascot Buddy.

Steve Nutt, senior marketing manager for the NSPCC, said: “We are really impressed by both Lidl’s commitment to raise money for us and their efforts to involve children and young people in their charitable campaigns and promotions.

“It is great to see the character created by Alana appearing on the packs of Lidl snack tomatoes and and would urge shoppers to support our fight for every childhood by buying Oaklands Fun Size products in January.”

Daniela Tulip, senior CSR consultant at Lidl, said: “We’re very proud to be supporting the NSPCC through the sale of our Oaklands Fun Size fruit & veg this January.

"We’re committed to promoting healthy eating and we hope that these fun new characters will make our Oaklands Fun Size range even more appealing to our younger customers.”


WINNER: Alana shows off the packaging featuring Tawny Tomatowl