Children from all over the country have been encouraged to take part in the second year of Pound a Poem, to get creative and get rhyming - and all for a great cause!

Pound a Poem combines learning and creativity with a fundraising initiative. It invites children to learn about healthy eating while simultaneously raising money for Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity, who exist to grant wishes for terminally and seriously ill children. Kids aged between five and eleven years old have been asked to write a poem about fruit or vegetables and then pay a pound to enter it into the competition, with all money raised going towards granting the wishes of some very sick children. Pound a Poem attracts masses of media attention and, as it has picked up pace, high-profile celebrities and politicians have begun to get involved with endorsement, with some even turning their hand to becoming poets themselves. Amongst the celebrities to have given their support to Pound a Poem are Alan Bennett, Anthony Horowitz, Sir Alan Sugar, Jonathan Ross, Piers Morgan, Twiggy, Julie Christie and many more. Pound a Poem has inspired praise from Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Tory leader David Cameron. Gordon Brown says of the competition, 'This fantastic initiative for school children aged 5-11 promotes literacy, healthy eating and good citizenship. By participating, children will be able to learn more about poetry whilst also helping children less fortunate then themselves by raising funds for Rays of Sunshine which grants wishes for terminally and seriously ill children across the UK.' This gem of a book contains all the competition finalists' poems and showcases the most imaginative and creative thought from children in the UK. In addition, our celebrity supporters have also taken time out of their hectic schedules to come up with some wonderful and diverse poetry. Some poems will make you laugh out loud, others will make you pause for thought, but all of them will bring a smile to your face.