Red letter day for youngster in national art competition

An Upper Eden schoolgirl has bettered more than 600,000 other youngsters from across the UK in an art competition, which could see her design featured on postage stamps.

Bicci Clark, of Kirkby Stephen Grammar School, was given the opportunity to enter the Royal Mail’s iChild Heroes Stamp Design Competition during her art lesson — along with other pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 — and found out this week that she had made it on to a 24-strong shortlist from the North West.

If successful regionally, her design will be one of eight that are made into stamps to be bought and used across the country from spring 2022 — this will be announced in November.

Already the hundreds of thousands of entries have been collected and together have won the Guinness World Record title for the largest postage stamp design competition.

Simon Thompson, Royal Mail’s chief executive, said: “We would like to thank all of the 606,049 children who submitted such brilliant designs to the competition.

“We have been humbled by the sheer volume of entries. And to have achieved a Guinness World Records title in the process shows how much the UK’s children value those heroes who have kept the nation moving during such a difficult period. To the 120 Regional Finalists — Well Done! We are really looking forward to seeing the winning eight designs.”

Bicci’s creation features a masked NHS staff member holding a vaccine and a ball of COVID in front of a green background with a rainbow, British flag and globe.

An ode to all the people who have kept the health service going throughout the pandemic.

Mrs Wealleans, head of art at KSGS congratulated all those who took part in the competition, she said the work was of a very high standard and the students worked very hard on their designs. A display of some of the entries has been created in the school.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “It is of great credit to the children of this country that in world record breaking numbers they picked up their paintbrushes, pens and paints and paid artistic tribute to the heroes of our coronavirus response.

“Their brilliant efforts represent the collective gratitude of the nation to everyone who went above and beyond during the pandemic.”