Chairperson Hosts Winning Pupils in Environmental Poster Competition

Chairperson of Council, Councillor Valerie Harte, recently welcomed winners of the popular Schools’ Environmental Poster Competition to the Council Chamber in Downpatrick for this year’s prizegiving event. Ten pupils from schools across the district received their prizes after being selected from the many entries received from local schools.

The annual competition, managed by the Council’s Sustainability team, requires pupils to design a colourful, eye-catching poster on an environmental topic of their own choice and is open to both Primary and Secondary schools across the district.

The competition winners, who each received a framed copy of their poster, and a £25 voucher, are local Primary school pupils Talia Lennon, St Patrick’s Primary School, Burrenreagh, Fiona Murray, St Bronagh’s Primary School, Rostrevor, Darcy Sawry, St Joseph’s Primary School, Cranacaville, Leah McEnteggart, Clonalig Primary School, Culloville, and Ruby Aiken, Glasswater Primary School, Crossgar.

Secondary school winners are Jane Keenan, Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry; Aoife Kellett, Assumption Grammar School, Ballynahinch, Clara Doran, Newry High School, Kara Cunningham, St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel and Maisie McFerran, Blackwater Integrated College, Downpatrick.

Two of the winning posters, designed by Darcy Sawey and Clara Doran, will also have the honour of being displayed as billboards in Newry City and Downpatrick in early 2024.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Valerie Harte began by congratulating all the pupils on their success. Reflecting on the importance of each of the winning designs and said, “Your winning posters cover some very crucial topics such as climate change, the problem of single use plastic and the damaging litter that it creates. It is fitting that we are holding this prizegiving event at the same time as the international community is gathering in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for COP28 to agree ways of dealing with rising global temperatures and the effects of climate change that are being experienced around the world.  It is reassuring for me as first Citizen of this Council to know that these topics are high in our young people’s thoughts.”.

“I look forward to seeing Darcy and Clara’s posters displayed as billboards in the new year providing those who travel through our district with a vital reminder of the need to avoid single use plastic items”.