Press release - 18th July 2005

 

Pupils from Mengham Infant School, Hayling Island, are celebrating after winning £1,000 in a design competition run by Havant Borough Council as part of the £3.7M Liveability Project, which includes £400,000 to make changes to the way the new-look borough is kept clean and tidy.

 

As well as targeting litter hot spots and tackling graffiti and fly tipping, the council's new team of

 

Environmental Quality Rangers will be working with schools, talking to youngsters about keeping their neighbourhoods clean. And to kick start the campaign, youngsters were asked to produce eye-catching posters and slogan promoting the cleaner borough message.

 

The competition was open to all schools in the borough and more than 100 youngsters put their creative talents to the test and produced a wide variety of imaginative, colourful and eye-catching posters and slogans that encourage everyone to think about keeping our environment clean and tidy. The winning entry will now be professionally printed and displayed all over the borough.

 

Two members of the Youth Council joined Councillor Gwen Blackett, Childcare Development Worker, Marina Stafford and Communications Officer, Charlotte Smith, to judge the entries at the Civic Offices on Friday. With so many imaginative and colourful entries it was a difficult decision but, after some deliberation, the judges chose a simple eye-catching design by Molly Honey from Mengham Infant School. As the overall winner Molly received £100 in gift vouchers and £1,000 for her school. Her poster will now be printed and will soon be appearing in shop windows and notice boards around the borough.

 

The judges also chose a design by Alec Sharp from Bosmere Junior School as the best of the junior school entries and a striking poster by Roma-May Daly from Hayling School as the best of the secondary school entries. Both received £50 in gift vouchers and there are £5 gift vouchers for runners up in each age group.

 

"We decided to run a poster competition for schools to encourage as many children and young people as possible to get involved in the Liveability campaign, which is working to create a cleaner and safer environment for everyone in the borough," said Liveability Manager, Joanne Penney.

 

"In the end we were so delighted with the number of fabulous entries we received that we decided to offer extra prizes for creativity," she added. "But there could only be one winner and Molly's simple and colourful poster will soon be appearing all over the borough as we encourage everyone to 'keep the borough clean'."

 

Winners:

Senior school

• 1st prize - Roma-May Daly - The Hayling School
• 2nd prize - Helen Burness - The Hayling School
• 3rd prize - Jasmine Morrell - The Hayling School