Picured above, clockwise from top left- Leilani Peglar, Overall Winner; Aliza Ali, Cover Design Winner; Amelie Scanlon, Winner 9-11 age category; Ryma Medjeboub, Winner 7-9 age category; Beatrice Brown, Winner Under 7 age category.
We were delighted to be able to doorstep our competition winners last week to give them their certificates and a small prize. COVID restrictions mean we’re unable to host our usual prize-giving event, but we were determined to meet our competition winners and let them know how much we loved their poems and picture.
This year’s poetry competition, our fifth, was on the theme of ‘Water’. We received nearly 600 entries from 22 schools, our biggest number to date. A panel of judges, including Bristol’s first poet laureate Miles Chambers and our sponsor, Bristol Water, chose the category winners and our overall winner.
Category winners were –
- Under 7s – Beatrice Brown, from Ashton Gate Primary School with her poem ‘Cloud Burst’
- 7-9 year olds – Ryma Medjeboub, from Whitehall Primary School with her poem ‘The Boy and the Sea’
- 9-11 year olds – Amelie Scanlon, from Ashton Gate Primary School with her poem ‘Look at Me!’
For the first time, our overall winner was in the under 7s category. A huge congratulations to Leilani Peglar, from St Ursula’s E-Act Academy for her wonderful poem, ‘Water’. At only 6 years old Leilani is clearly headed for great things!
This year’s cover design winner was Aliza Ali, from Woodlands Academy with her beautiful picture depicting the busy and colourful world under the surface.
This year’s poetry book, with over 90 selected poems and a collection of pictures, is in production and will be available to buy soon. You can order a copy for just £5 (plus £2 postage and packaging) at enquiries@ablazebristol.org
Ablaze is and independent charity tackling inequality of opportunity for young people in the West of England. We do this by utilising the skills and commitment of business volunteers. We aim to raise young people’s confidence and aspiration; support their attainment and skill levels; and empower them with knowledge to make informed choices about their future.