Tong Garden Centre has announced the winners of a competition run with Bradford Stories to win free passes for its new indoor play area...

Pupils at more than 20 Bradford schools were invited to create a name and a story for one of two new characters at Grass Hoppers indoor play, which openeds this weekend. The schools were selected by Bradford Stories, a National Literacy Trust hub to improve literacy levels in the city by promoting reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Eight-year-old Amelia from Beckfoot Nessfield Primary School named the new spider ‘Incy' and part of her winning story read: ‘I don't like putting my shoes on to play out because I have to tie eight laces.”

Incy's new friend at Grass Hoppers indoor and outdoor play is a caterpillar who was aptly named ‘Nibbles' by Knowles Wood Primary School pupil Mahnoor, also aged eight. Her story made reference to eating ‘juicy leaves and tasty petals for dinner, lunch and breakfast'.

Tong Garden Centre's Marketing Manager, Jo Dales, said: “We wanted to celebrate the opening of the new play area in a way that supports the great work of our charity of the year, Bradford Stories, so we launched this competition to encourage children to be creative in naming and describing the new characters that will bring Grass Hoppers to life.

“We're very pleased with how the competition has gone - it seems like the children and teachers really got on board with it which is great to see!”

The winners will receive a Grass Hoppers goody bag and a free play pass for themselves, plus a ‘class pass' for the winner's whole class. Bradford Stories rewarded the winners with a bundle of books for their classroom.

Pictured (left to right): Helen Verity from the National Literacy Trust, Sophie Davies from Grass Hoppers, Mahnoor and Julie Robinson, parental involvement worker at Knowles Wood School.