Related Articles
An 11-year-old schoolgirl has made it the regional finals of an art competition inspired by the vital role played by key workers.
Millie Watkiss entered the Royal Mail ‘heroes stamp design’ challenge, which attracted 6,600 entries.
She was aged 10 at the time she submitted her entry and has since moved on from St Luke’s CE Academy to Endon High School. Now if her entry goes on to win the overall prize, her design will be turned into a real stamp.
More education news
Millie, who lives in Endon, said: “I’m really excited and so pleased to have made it to this stage.”
She drew a supermarket worker, wearing a mask, surrounded by things that people struggled to buy in the pandemic, including toilet roll, soap, and flour.
Millie has so far reached the regional finals and won £100 for herself and £100 for St Luke’s. If she progresses to the next stage, she will bag £500. The final prize is £100 and the chance for the design to immortalised on a stamp.
Proud mum Emma Watkiss, aged 40, said: “She was absolutely chuffed. She was really pleased because there were so many entries and she has got down to the final 120.
“Millie really loves art and it’s a really big achievement for her. She loves to draw and she’s always doing it. I am super proud of her.
“She did the drawing at home, but it was through the school. She just wanted to say thank you to supermarket workers for keeping everybody going.
“It was hard during the pandemic, but she did really well and, later during the pandemic, we did the online school work. She coped really well with it.”
Millie has also been celebrating with her younger brother, William, aged five.
Not signed up to the newsletter? Try it outhere
Sign up now to receive it for free here.
