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South Hill Primary School wins £1,000 in Olympic competition
South Hill Primary School has been announced as the recipient of a cheque for £1,000 in a competition run by The Marlowes Shopping Centre.
Located in the heart of Hemel Hempstead, The Marlowes Shopping Centre ran a competition for local children and schools to enjoy in the run up to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the chance to go for gold!
The challenge was to write a poem about a country around the world – whether that was somewhere they had been, would like to go to or somewhere from their heritage, in the hopes to win £1,000 for their school.
The competition saw a plethora of entries from 8 schools within Hemel Hempstead, but ultimately the winning entry came from Aiden age 9, from South Hill Primary School, who submitted an inspired entry showcasing his support of Team GB and local hero Max Whitlock. The entry captured the attention of the judges, who thought it perfectly encapsulated the sportsmanship and celebrations that the Games will bring to this summer.
Aiden was presented with a cheque for £1,000 at the opening of the pop-up poetry display, located within the Community Hub next to Savers at The Marlowes. The exhibition features a range of the fantastic entries, alongside Aiden’s golden entry showcased in a golden frame on an easel.
Also in attendance at the cheque presentation was Mayor Councillor Brenda Link, alongside Aiden’s Assistant Headteacher Mrs Farmery and his Mum. Clare Benton, Operations Manager at The Marlowes and judge on the panel, took great pride in handing over the giant cheque to Aiden, who has returned it to his school for an upcoming assembly.
Mayor Councillor Brenda Link commented “It was wonderful to attend the opening of this exhibition, and present the cheque to Aiden for doing so well at his poetry. All of the other entrants were wonderful too, but his was certainly deserved. Thank you to The Marlowes Shopping Centre!”
South Hill Primary School are planning to spend their winnings on additional supplies for the whole school to enjoy, including additional stationery and art supplies.
Miss Joanne Wellbelove, Headteacher from South Hill Primary School, commented “'I was absolutely thrilled to receive the news that one of our pupils, Aiden in Year 5 had won the poetry competition! We are delighted that Aiden felt inspired to write an Olympic poem and we thank The Marlowes Shopping Centre for launching this competition, which tied in so well as we had a poet visit our school too. We are delighted to receive the £1,000 pounds prize. Well done Aiden and thank you to The Marlowes Shopping Centre, Hemel Hempstead!”
Humphrey Mwanza, Centre Manager at The Marlowes Shopping Centre, commented “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Aiden to The Marlowes to receive his £1,000 prize. We received so many wonderful entries to this competition, showcasing so much talent within our town, and we encourage our shoppers to stop by our Community Hub and take a look at some of the great entries received, as well as Aiden’s poem. Congratulations once again!”
For further details on events at The Marlowes Shopping Centre, visit The Marlowes website.