Erin's five-a-day design wins cookery demonstration for school

Monday 30 January 2012

Following the success of previous Christmas poster competitions, the FSA in Scotland invited all primary schools across Scotland to design posters promoting either good food hygiene, healthy eating and physical activity, or food allergy awareness.

The FSA was delighted to receive over 4,000 entries from 153 primary schools.

Erin Lowdon, a Primary 1 pupil at St Columba’s Primary School in Cupar, scooped first prize with an eye-catching design highlighting the importance of eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, winning prizes including a cookery demonstration for her school. The overall standard of the posters was excellent, however, the judging panel felt that Erin’s design put across the message of healthy eating exceptionally well.

A further 11 highly commended designs, along with that of the winner, feature in the FSA in Scotland’s 2012 calendar, which has been distributed to key Scottish stakeholders.

On 30 January 2012, chef Douglas Lisi gave a cookery demonstration to pupils, teachers and officials from Fife Council’s Food Health and Safety Services. Erin was also presented with a framed print of her winning design by Charles Milne, Director, Food Standards Agency in Scotland.

Charles Milne, Director, Food Standards Agency, said: 'The competition is a fun way of encouraging young people to think creatively about the FSA's key messages of safe food and healthy eating. It is hoped that they will put into practice the valuable lessons they have learned from the competition about washing their hands thoroughly, cooking food properly to help prevent food poisoning and the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity.'

Jo Boggan, head teacher, St Columba’s Primary School, said: 'We are very proud of Erin as overall winner of this competition, and of Shana whose entry also appears in the FSA calendar. All pupils were asked to make posters as part of their holiday homework, and the standard of entry was great. The children were able to show the knowledge and understanding that they have in this important area of health education.

'Health and wellbeing is core to the curriculum at St Columba's, as each child is valued for the contribution that they make to the life of the school. Entries in the FSA competition demonstrate that the children are successful learners and effective contributors. We are a rights respecting school we have our second green flag, and hope to achieve fair trade status this year. We work hard to engage families in their children's learning and are proud of our family ethos. We are all delighted that the whole school will be able to share in Erin and Shana's achievements and we are looking forward to being inspired by a cookery demonstration which will reinforce messages around healthy eating and food hygiene.'

In addition to the framed print, Erin was also awarded £300 and her school received £1000 to spend on FSA approved projects.