Alice’s green logo bags her top prize

11:20am Thursday 8th May 2008

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A PUPIL of Welburn County Primary School, 10-year-old Alice Walker, beat more than 100 other youngsters to win the competition to design a logo for the new eco-friendly shopping bag to promote Malton and Norton.

Children from Rillington, Terrington, Malton and Norton primary schools submitted entries which were judged at the Milton Rooms in Malton last Thursday by local wildlife artist, Robert Fuller.

Of Alice's entry, he said: "It was very striking - I noticed it as soon as I walked into the hall. It has a strong environmental message as well as a link to the twin towns of Malton and Norton."

He added: "Plastic bags cause havoc to wildlife as well as to the landscape and I am delighted to see the tide turning against them. Malton is surrounded by beautiful countryside. It is so important that we protect our much-loved environment."

The design competition was instigated by Thrive, the local residents' group, which has campaigning to make Malton and Norton into plastic bag free towns, said 16-year-old Hannah Keal, who has pioneered the initiative which has now won the backing of Ryedale District Council and Business in Action.

"Waste plastic bags make up 80 per cent of the volume of litter found on roads, parks and beaches and 90 per cent of litter in the sea. They can start in our towns and end up anywhere," said Hannah.

Alice was awarded a prize of a family cinema pass to Malton's Palace Cinema and a book token from Hopper's Stationers was given to her school at Welburn.

Highly commended in the competition were Iain Audsley, 11, and Emily Alice Pitt, 10, both of Leavening County Primary School, Callum Saul, Norton, Paloma Osborne, seven, both of Norton County Primary School, and Tim Green, eight, of Welburn County Primary School.

The bags are due to be produced later this month when they will be available in Malton and Norton shops and customers will be encouraged to buy them from traders for about £2.