Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, presented the prize of a special House of Commons mug today to the winner of the Mind Your Step poster competition, 8 year old Perton Sandown pupil Sophie Edwards.
The Mind Your Step competition saw the students of Perton Sandown First School and Perton First School design their own posters, warning members of the public about the penalties associated with dog fouling in Perton.
Specsavers, which sponsored the competition, donated 25 high visibility vests for each school to mark the event.
Gavin was also a member of the judging panel, which met last month to determine the overall winner. Other members included the Chair of Perton Parish Council, Roy Moreton, the Head of Sandown First School, Elizabeth Threlkeld, the Head of Perton First School, Anne Bennett, a representative of Mind Your Step, Verity Matu, and a representative of Specsavers, Helen Matu.
Each school held a sub competition internally before presenting their final five entries to the panel.
On awarding the prize, Gavin said: “It was really wonderful to see all the hard work that the children had put into this competition. All the posters that we received in the final judging stage were truly excellent and it was incredibly difficult to pick just one winner.
“Sophie’s poster featured a wonderful drawing and sent a very clear message. Not picking up after your dog is not just an issue of aesthetics, but of public safety, with dog fouling known to create infection and blindness in children. I am glad to see that the children of Perton are not only aware of this danger, but are also highlighting its importance to some of the less responsible adults in the village.”
Sophie’s poster will shortly be visible in a series of locations around the village.