Talented artists win treemendous prizes

Young artists will be rewarded for their impressive creative talents later this week.

A total of 37 winners in the Council’s annual Britain in Bloom children’s painting competition are picking up certificates and prizes from Borough Mayor Gill Burnett at a special awards ceremony at Keele Hall on Friday, 10 June.

The theme of this year’s competition, organised as part of the borough’s successful Newcastle in Bloom campaign, was “Bloomin’ Treemendous” in recognition of the Council’s “Plant a Bloomin’ Tree” initiative which is creating carbon capture green spaces in urban areas to help mitigate the effects of climate change, contributing towards its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, as well as enhancing the environment to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

There were 608 entries from 15 primary, secondary and special educational needs schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme, including two from individuals.

The overall winner of the under 7s category is Clark Davis, aged five, from the Demetae Academy in Newcastle who impressed the judges with his dramatic painting of silver birch trees as the dark background really contrasts with the colour of the birch. Amber Smith, from Thursfield Primary School in Harriseahead, is the main winner of the over 10s section. The 10-year-old’s entry shows hands gifting a tree to the world which links in perfectly with the “Plant a Bloomin’ Tree” campaign.

Clark and Amber’s masterpieces were stars of the show at a recent exhibition held at the redeveloped Brampton Museum.

Newcastle-under-Lyme is once again competing in the small city category of Heart of England in Bloom after establishing an unrivalled reputation in the horticultural contest over more than 30 years.

The painting competition is sponsored by The Art Studio in Newcastle and Alton Towers.