Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

JACOBS NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR UK'S "LITTLE GEM"

Limelight Public Relations Ltd

JACOBS LAUNCH NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR THE “UK’S LITTLE GEM”

www.jacobslittlegems.co.uk

Today, Jacobs, one of the UK’s leading biscuit manufacturers launches an exciting nationwide search to find the “UK’s Little Gem”; a child that has excelled in any way that genuinely merits recognition. We all know some great children; funny, smart, kind, thoughtful, determined, enthusiastic – this competition will finally give these ordinary but extraordinary children the recognition and reward that they deserve.
The winning child will be presented with the acclaimed title and a family holiday by a mystery celebrity at an official ceremony in London during half term in October.

The Little Gem UK competition is being run in association with Iced Gems, the fruit flavour iced topped biscuits and has been carefully designed to ensure maximum participation and a high chance for children across the nation to be recognised and rewarded. It is broken down by category, age and region. There are five categories that recognise kids’ achievements in everything from sport and music to hobbies and community work. Perhaps they have really improved at maths or are excelling in their local football team; maybe they have raised money for charity or have spent time helping the elderly. If so there's a great chance for them to win. The competition is open to children aged three to eleven across the UK. Both age and location are also broken into separate bands to ensure fair judging and the highest possible chance of winning.

The judging process will result in a winner in each of the six regions across the UK who will receive a prize and a regional Little Gem title. These winners will be automatically entered into the national final to determine the overall winner – the UK’s Little Gem and will be invited to attend a ceremony in London where the national winner – Little Gem UK will be awarded the title and a family holiday to the value of £500 by a mystery celebrity and Topper the bear, the Iced Gems mascot.

Further information about the competition and entry forms can be downloaded from www.jacobslittlegems.co.uk and will also be handed out by Topper the bear himself in selected Asda stores across the UK. Failing that, they can also be obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Little Gem UK Competition, 147a Grosvenor Road London SW1V 3JY. The closing date for entries is Friday 17th September 2004 . Whether it’s their Mum, Dad, Granny or teacher, all entrants must be nominated by an adult in order to participate in the competition.

Notes to Editors

Photography – various images of Topper the Bear are available.

For further info, logos and images or to arrange an interview please contact:

Kirsty McRae, Victoria Morris or Susanna Simpson at Limelight Public Relations, the Jacobs press office is not handling this:

Tel: 0207 821 9210
kirsty@limelightpr.co.uk
Victoria@limelightpr.co.uk
susanna@limelightpr.co.uk
Kirsty mobile: 07968 287093
Susanna mobile: 07747 686121
Victoria mobile: 07976 285 955

For Further Information or To Download Entry Forms, please visit www.jacobslittlegems.co.uk
Completed entries need to be sent to: Little Gem UK Competition, 147a Grosvenor Road, London SW1V 3JY by Friday 17th September 2004.


Competition format:

Age Categories
•3-5 years old
•6-8 years old
•9-11 years old

Region categories
•Region 1 - Scotland
•Region 2 - Wales
•Region 3 – North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humberside
•Region 4 – East & West Midlands & East Anglia
•Region 5 – Eastern, South West
•Region 6 – London

Category Entered
•Academic Achievement
•Sporting Achievement
•Musical Achievement
•Hobby Achievement
•Community Achievement

Further Information On Iced Gems

•Gems were invented in 1850 but at this time they were just biscuits with no icing on.
•Gems are 154 years old.
•In 1910, they became Iced Gems as a swirl of icing was put on top of the biscuit.
•The bear featured on the pack used to be called Gordon, but was renamed after a competition in 2002.
•The biscuit of an Iced Gem is a semi-sweet biscuit which in the 19th century was the classic biscuit.
•Choc gems were launched in 1995 with a popular TV advert called Running Bear.
•Jacob’s will make over 1,000,000,000 individual Gems biscuits this year.
•The peak on a Choc Gem is actually real chocolate as opposed to Iced Chocolate.
•Iced Gems linked up with the successful Ice Age film