10:00pm Tuesday 26th May 2009
By Claire Borley
PUPILS at Wickford County Junior school have won awards for their poems encouraging others not to drop rubbish.
Pupils at the school in Market Road, Wickford, were invited to take part in an anti-litter campaign by the green team at the Argos Distribution Centre in Basildon.
They were asked to write a poem with an anti-litter message.
Deputy headteacher Lorraine Ramet explained: “As part of our healthy schools programme, we do work on environmental awareness and being environmentally friendly, as well as recycling in school.
“The competition run by Argos fitted in with our curriculum and encouraged the children to get creative with their writing about the environment and the effects of litter.”
More than 50 of the children submitted their anti-litter poetry and members of the green team narrowed it down to 20 finalists before Basildon MP Angela Smith joined them to select the winners.
Argos warehouse operator Donna Whitbread organised the competition and was impressed by the standard of work the children produced.
She said: “The children at Wickford Junior School are amazingly talented and showed great compassion and understanding of the issue.
“As an ex-pupil of the school, I felt great pride and it was a privilege to be able, with the full support of Argos, to set up the anti-litter poetry competition.”
The judges were so impressed by the standard of work submitted, they gave prizes to all those who entered, as well the three winners.
First prize went to Year 6 pupil Chloe Cobbold, 11, second to Year 5’s Jasmine Mai Thorne, ten, and third to Rhiannon Spinks, 11, also in Year 6.
Mark Reeder, planning manager at the centre in Miles Gray Road, said: “We recognise we have a major part to play in the community, especially when it comes to the environment.
“This is the second competition we have run in association with local schools and it is always a pleasure to meet the children and hear what they have to say about the environment and their impact on it.”
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/trade_directory/