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Wednesday 11 Aug 2004

CHILDREN OF MARCH CELEBRATE RAILWAY COMPETITION WINNINGS

Region & Route:

| Southern

Six local school children in March were today awarded prizes totalling £450 for winning a Network Rail railway poster competition.                                                                                                                                                                               The competition was launched at the Whitemoor Distribution Centre open day in May this year, when more than 3,500 people turned out to support the railway revival in March – and £1,900 was raised for local charities.             Local schools were asked to set their pupils the task of drawing a comic strip, designing a poster or writing a poem about safety on the railways, what trains mean to March, trains and the environment, or why they like trains.  The response was impressive, with dozens of entries from a wide range of children between 6 and 11 years.             Choosing the winning entries was a difficult task, but eventually three favourites were selected in two age categories: ‘up to seven years’ and ‘eight to twelve years’.  The winners are: Up to seven years 1st prize Amy Jane Wilson Age 7 Maple Grove Infant School 2nd prize Ashley Payne Age 7 Maple Grove Infant School 3rd prize Matthew Holder Age 6 Maple Grove Infant School Eight to twelve years 1st prize Aidan Payne Age 9 Westwood Community Junior School 2nd prize Katharine Cooledge Age 11 Westwood Community Junior School 3rd prize Thomas Chapman Age 11 Westwood Community Junior School - more -             Safety prizes- 2 Prizes were awarded by Network Rail Project Director, Peter Heubeck, who commented: “I’m delighted to present these prizes on behalf of Network Rail.  The children of March have shown great enthusiasm for the railways and have put a lot of thought and effort into these competition entries.  Choosing the winners was hard, but we have picked six very deserving young people.”