Cleveland’s Got Artistic Talent
Jodie Harkin’s festive painting was chosen from over 7,500 other entries as overall winner of the Cleveland Police “Art of Safety 2009” competition.
Throughout the Autumn term police teams have been visiting schools across Cleveland and talking with children about how we can all help to make communities safer by Putting People First.
Youngsters were then asked to submit a drawing or painting on the theme of “Putting People First This Christmas”.
Children from over 160 schools took part and selected their own individual winning entries in three age categories.
A judging panel then narrowed these down choosing Jodie, 13, as the winner of the Key Stage 3 section and the competition overall.
Cleveland Chief Constable Sean Price presented Jodie, a pupil at Our Lady and St Bede, Stockton, with an iPod Nano and iTunes voucher and a pack of Christmas cards based on her design at the awards ceremony held at police HQ. Head teacher John Smith was presented with £1,500 for school funds.
Jodie’s design will now be used on this year’s Cleveland Police Christmas cards.
Cleveland Asst Chief Officer Ann Hall, who organised the competition, said: “This is the third year we have run Art of Safety and the standard was higher than ever before.
“The competition allows us to talk to children about safety issues and also gives them the chance to tell us what they want to see in their local communities. It also shows how talented local children area.”
The competition was sponsored by Cleveland Police Authority, CapGemini and the Kids Task Force.
Authority member Pam Andrews-Mawer, one of the judges, said: “It was incredibly difficult to choose winners from such a large number of fantastic entries but we felt Jodie’s really captured the spirit of Christmas and what the competition was about.”
All the finalists received a certificate of merit from the Chief Constable and will see their designs made into posters. Key stage winners received iPod’s and cash for their schools whilst runners up received iPod Shuffles.
Two entries also received awards for best policing message and there was a Special Recognition Award made to the family of Hannah Dagg, a four year old pupil from Springwell School, Hartlepool who tragically died in her sleep just a few days after submitting her entry.
Full list of winners and their schools: Overall and Key stage 3 winner: Jodie Harkin, Our Lady and St Bede, Stockton.
Key Stage 3 runners-up; Carmen Wilson, Kings Academy, Middlesbrough and Alice Hurren, Northfield Secondary School, Stockton.
Key Stage 2 winner: Camron Parkin, Green Gates School, Stockton. Runners up; Brandon Cartwright, Kingsley Primary School, Hartlepool and Ruby Mason, Nunthorpe Primary School,
Key Stage 1 winner: Frances Pearson, Nunthorpe Primary School, Runners-up; Emma Hyde, St Marks Elm Tree School, Stockton and Adam Rylander, St Cuthbert’s School, Stockton.
Special Awards for Best Policing Message went to Heather White of Manor College of Technology, Hartlepool and Laura Bird of St Benedict’s School, Redcar and Cleveland.
A Special Recognition Award was made posthumously to Hannah Dagg, of Springwell School, Hartlepool.
The designs for Middlesbrough are currently on display at MIMA and Middlesbrough College.
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