BABY OF THE YEAR: THE SEARCH IS ON!
THE search is on for the South Wales’ top tot as we launch this year’s Baby & Toddler of the Year competition.
Our popular contest is back again – and it could see you scoop a £500 prize if you send in adorable snaps of your little ones.
To enter your bundle of joy into the competition and be in with a chance to win this fabulous prize has never been easier.
There are four age categories:
0-9 months;
10-18 months;
19-35 months; and
3-5 years.
This year we’ve made massive improvements to the contest, to really put your baby in the driver seat. To enter all you have to do is:
1. Grab your smartphone and go to www.walesonline.co.uk/Baby2019 or go to our facebook page and find the link;
2. Register your entry details; and
3. Pose your beautiful baby in his/her finest and snap a photo from your phone and click “upload”.
Photo entries will appear within a Baby & Toddler of the Year supplement, which is planned to run in the Echo on Monday, January 7, 2019.
The contest will then be subject to a public vote, using coupons which will be published from January 7, 2019, to February 2, 2019.
The Top 15 photos in each category receiving the most voting coupons will go through to the second round of the competition and will be published in a Top 60 supplement planned to be published on Monday, February 18, 2019 and then be subject to a second round of voting.
At the end of the voting, an overall winner will be declared. The other three category winners will be deemed runnersup, each receiving a £50 prize in the form of High Street shopping vouchers.
Last year’s winner was little Sophia Lily Jones.
Aged only seven months when she entered, Sophia’s bubbliness shone through her photo.
Proud parents Stuart Jones, 27 and Cherri Fowler, 31, from Pentwyn, Cardiff, said they knew she was a cutie but were stunned when she won.
“Everyone tells us she is so cute but we did not expect this,” said Cherri, a consultant for PWC.
“She knows how cute she is. She enjoys the attention!”
First-time mum Cherri told the Echo last year that Sophia started smiling at a very early stage, but tended to reserve her smile for one particular family member.
“She mainly smiles at the dog Lexi more than us!”, Cherri said. “She really want to be friends with her but Lexi is not interested at all.
“She was there first so is a bit jealous that Sophia is getting all the attention.”
And Stuart, who works for Deloitte in Cardiff, told us the cash would be going straight to Sophia.
He said: “We are going to put the money in her bank account – she earned it!
“She will probably spend it when she is 18 on a holiday or a car we don’t want her to have!”
More than 24,000 votes were cast last year, and Stuart and Cherri’s friends and family helped pull out all the stops to try to help Lilly win.
So don’t wait around. Dust off the camera or put that smartphone to use then see if your boy or girl can land the Baby & Toddler of the Year crown!
You can submit your photos until 11.59pm on Sunday, December 30, 2018.
As always, terms and conditions apply.