The design by 10-year-old Harry Wade will be turned into a Christmas card and sent around the world
This year’s Christmas Lights in Penzance will be switched on by 10-year-old Harry Wade from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, after he was chosen by the Mayor of Penzance as the winner of his annual Christmas Card Competition.
Now in its fifth year, the competition invites all Year 5 and 6 school pupils in the Penzance Parish to enter their designs for the Mayor’s Christmas Card. With the theme of ‘Christmas Under the Sea’, this year’s winning entry will be sent out by the Mayor, Stephen Reynolds, as an e-card, in-keeping with the environmental values of Penzance Council.
Entries for this year’s competition were received from Gulval School, Heamoor Community Primary School, St Mary’s C of E School, Alverton Primary School and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School.
From the 175 entries, the Mayor was tasked with selecting five: one winner from each of the five schools who entered the competition, with one of those winners being chosen as the overall winner.
On hearing that Harry Wade had been chosen as overall winner this year, Headteacher of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Mrs Bingham commented: “We are all delighted that Harry has won the Christmas card competition! What a great achievement for Harry and a proud moment for St Mary’s Catholic School! We are all very proud!”
The winners of the Mayor’s Christmas Card Competition 2024 are:
• Harry Wade from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School (overall winner)
• Stacey from Heamoor Community Primary School
• Bella-Marie from Alverton Primary School
• Ophelia from St Mary’s C of E School
• Wilby from Gulval School
All winners will receive a prize from the Mayor, with the overall winner, Harry Wade, getting the honours of switching on the Christmas Lights in Penzance this year on Saturday, 30 November.
Harry’s winning design will be sent from the Mayor of Penzance across the Duchy and beyond, as far away as Nevada City in California, to schools, community organisations, Parish Councillors, and the Armed Forces.
Cllr Stephen Reynolds commented: “This was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, as Mayor of Penzance! To choose the winner from such an amazing range of colourful, witty, imaginative interpretations of Christmas Under the Sea – the school pupils of Penzance Parish have risen to the challenge. The future of art in our community is obviously safe!”
See all of the images in the slider gallery below:
