Young artists from the Selby and Goole area are celebrating success in the Drax ‘Art in the Community’ competition. The finalists received their prizes during an awards ceremony on Wednesday 2 December in front of an invited audience of parents and teachers at Drax Power Station.

Drax matched prize money awarded to the finalists in four categories with a donation to their schools making a total of more than £2,500.

First place was awarded to Elle McKeon from Selby Community Primary (5-7 category), Heather Cole from Camblesforth Primary (7-11 category), Megan Griffiths who attends Goole High School in the 11-14 category and Emma Thompson, a pupil at Brayton College in the 14-18 category.

From the 20 local primary and secondary schools to enter the competition, now in its third year, Drax received over 100 entries.

Entries were judged on use of colour and shading, visual impact and originality by a panel including guest judges Scunthorpe resident Jane Lingard, winner of a previous art competition organised by Drax, and David Anderson from Graphic Ad Design Studio, together with Drax head trader Damien Speight.

Presenting the awards, Drax production director Peter Emery said: “We believe Art in the Community encourages young people to express themselves through art and this is something we will continue to support.”

In the New Year, the 12 award-winning paintings and drawings will form a special mini-exhibition taking in various community venues in Selby and Goole.

Art In The Community is an initiative within Drax’s community relations programme that is designed to encourage and develop art appreciation as part of the company’s support for education and to promote art learning within the National Curriculum.

For more information, please contact:

Melanie Wedgbury/Rachael Hudson
Drax Power 01757 618381

Lisa McGauley/Richard Harrison
Imagen PR 01943 468778

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

1. Drax Power Limited is the owner of Drax Power Station, the largest, cleanest and most efficient coal fired power station in the UK. The output capacity from the station’s six generators is 4,000MW. At current output levels it supplies some 7% of the UK’s electricity needs.

2. Full list of winners in the 2009 Drax ‘Art in the Community’ competition:

Category: 5 – 7 years
1st – Elle McKeon – Selby Community Primary
2nd – Tye Smith – Marshlands Primary
3rd – Chloe Smith – Snaith Primary

Category: 7 – 11 years

1st – Heather Cole – Camblesforth Primary
2nd – Eloise Wilburn – Pollington in Balne Primary
3rd – Aston Harrison – Whitley and Eggborough

Category: 11 – 14 years

1st – Megan Griffiths – Goole High School
2nd – Ben Pike – Brayton College
3rd – Niamh Henderson – Goole High School

Category: 14 – 18 years

1st – Emma Thompson – Brayton College
2nd – Beth Halkon – Goole High School
3rd – Wojciech Wojda – Brayton College

Left to right: 1st 7 - 11 years Heather Cole, Camblesforth Primary School, 1st 11 - 14 years Megan Griffiths, Goole High School, 1st 14 - 18 years Emma Thompson, Brayton College and 1st 5 - 7 years Elle McKeon, Selby Community Primary School

5 - 7 years age group. Left to right: Tye Smith, Marshlands Primary School (2nd), Peter Emery, Production Director holding Chloe Smith’s, Snaith Primary School winning entry (3rd) and Elle McKeon, Selby Community Primary School (1st)

7 - 11 years age group. Left to right: Heather Cole, Camblesforth Primary School (1st), Ashton Harrison, Whitley and Eggborough Primary School (3rd), Peter Emery, Production Director and Eloise Wilburn, Pollington in Balne Primary School (2nd)

11 - 14 years age group. Left to right: Megan Griffiths, Goole High School (1st), Niamh Henderson, Goole High School (3rd), Peter Emery, Production Director and Ben Pike, Brayton College (2nd)

14 - 18 years age group. Left to right: Beth Halkon, Goole High School (2nd), Wojciech Wojda, Brayton College (3rd), Peter Emery, Production Director and Emma Thompson, Brayton College (1st)