THE search is on for a new Leigh Market mascot — and young readers of the Journal are being asked to help.

This week the Journal, along with Wigan Council, is launching a competition for children across the borough to come up with a design that can be transformed into a real life-size mascot for the market.

The competition, which is open to those 16 and under, will run until August 31 and 10 designs will be shortlisted before the final decision is made.

Journal readers will be asked to vote for the winner which will become the new face of the market.

The market is undergoing major regeneration and has recently had a new logo which will be put in place on various sites over the next month.

Glenn Furnival, chairman and market trader at Leigh Market, said the mascot should reflect everything that is great about the town.

Mr Furnival said: “We want something that is representative of the community. We want it to support the market and to engage with the kids and the future of Leigh.

“It needs to show what Leigh is all about, and that’s community. It’s a small town and because of that we all stick together and support each other.

“We want to reach out to everyone.”

Traders also now have a Facebook page to interact with a younger clientele in the aim of encourage more shoppers into the market.

Mike Matthews, town centre unit manager for Wigan Council, said the market was an important facility for the town.

Mr Matthews said: “We are a great believer in the market. It is part of the town centre. There are a lot of small businesses in here and that’s what makes the difference in a town centre. We want to support this business.”

To be in with a chance of winning, all children have to do is draw a design on the template on the page in Thursday's Leigh Journal, fill in the coupon and send it to the Leigh Journal (care of The Bolton News, The Wellsprings, Civic Centre, Bolton, BL1 1AR).

You can also download the template and coupon here, to print out. DESIGN A MASCOT.pdf

Our judges will select the designs, which will feature in a special supplement on September 10. Readers will then have the chance to vote for their favourites by coupon, phone and text.

The 10 shortlisted designs will also be displayed on a stall in Leigh Market.