Creative competition encourages waste prevention

Eco beasts created a stunning display as part of a West Sussex upcycling competition.
Upper Beeding Primary School prize winners, from left, Freya Owen, Harvey Hawkins and Otis Loveridge, with their eco beastsUpper Beeding Primary School prize winners, from left, Freya Owen, Harvey Hawkins and Otis Loveridge, with their eco beasts
Upper Beeding Primary School prize winners, from left, Freya Owen, Harvey Hawkins and Otis Loveridge, with their eco beasts

Children from schools and uniformed groups all over the county made sculptures out of waste resources and the best were put on display at Horsham Park for Funday Sunday.

Pupils at Upper Beeding Primary School won three prizes, much to the delight of eco leader Sandrine Stringer.

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Freya Owen was first prize winner in the under-fives, Harvey Hawkins was second prize winner in age eight to 11 years and Otis Loveridge was third prize winner in five to seven years.

Sandrine said: “We are delighted to have taken part in the eco beast competition. All the children at Upper Beeding Primary got behind the event and produced 22 stunning eco models made out of waste resources.

“We had to choose the best three and were over the moon to learn that they had all won awards. The children are so pleased and look forward to entering again next year.”

Other prize winners included Georgian Gardens School in Rustington and St Andrew’s CE High School for Boys in Worthing.

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The competition was organised by Carrie Cort from Sussex Green Living, an environmental awareness and education initiative, Horsham Festival founder Paul Bellringer and Rachel Carruthers from West Sussex County Council’s waste prevention team.

Rachel said: “We have been delighted by the enthusiasm of schools and children to participate in this county-wide upcycling competition.

“The children have demonstrated beautifully the value of what many call rubbish. They have shown that cardboard kitchen rolls, boxes, aluminium cans, in fact any recyclable or non-recyclable material, are valuable art resources.”

Judges for the four age categories were Marji Talbot, founder of Sussex Sculpture Studios in Billingshurst, environmental scientist Brett Mcguin, who is the community liaison officer for Biffa West Sussex, and Katy Newnham, chief executive of Wastebuster.

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Points were awarded for imagination, creativity and choice of materials and prize winners were as follows:-

Under-fives; 1 Upper Beeding School.

Five to seven years: 1 Warninglid Primary School, 2 Trafalgar School, 3 joint Upper Beeding School, 1st Midhurst Rainbows and Thakeham First School.

Eight to 11 years: 1 Georgian Gardens School, 2 joint William Penn Primary School and Upper Beeding School, 3 Birdham Primary School.

Age 11 to 14 years: 1 William Penn Primary School, 2 4th East Grinstead Guides, 3 St Andrew’s CE High School for Boys.

The winning schools will be inspired by an assembly with Nicola Peel, a multi award-winning environmentalist and solutionologist who works in the Amazon, and then take part in a green art workshop.