Wicklow children win awards in SSE’s recycled Christmas decoration competition

Renewable energy provider SSE Renewables has announced the winning Arklow entries in its ‘Design a Christmas Decoration from Recycled Materials’ competition.

Created by St John’s SNS (Arklow) student Ella Mai Browne Mordaunt, ‘Mr Frost Tree the Snowman’ was selected as the overall competition winner.

Ella had the honour of being Santa’s guest and switching on this year’s Christmas tree lights in St Mary’s Park, on Saturday, November 25 – marking the launch of the Arklow Christmas Festival 2023.

Schoolgoers throughout Arklow Municipal District showed their commitment to an eco-friendly festive season by participating in the competition.

Now in its second year, the popular competition was run with the help of Arklow Festival Committee, Arklow Municipal District and Arklow Library.

The competition was divided into four age categories: 7 and under, 8 to 10, 11 to 12, and 13 years and over. All competition entries will be on display in Arklow Library, and category winners received a €50 ‘One for All’ voucher as their prize.

Ella Mai’s overall winning entry, in the 8 to 10 category, was built around a salvaged plastic bottle and lollipop sticks, crepe paper, old Christmas ribbon and lights.

The head was made from her brother’s old ball, which Ella carefully covered with wool, adding goolie eyes. Her creation was topped off with an upcycled ribbon spool hat and lollipop sticks added as arms.

“The entry stood out for its creativity and the heart-warming feeling that made the competition adjudicators feel very cheerful and festive,” a spokesperson said.

Allanah McDonald Browne from SS Michael and Peter Junior School won the age seven and under category for her ‘Santa’s Workshop’ entry.

She used a variety of cardboard boxes, kitchen roll tubes, old buttons, pipe cleaners and lollipop sticks, which were carefully painted, glittered, and decorated.

A fabulous handmade sign was the focal point to ensure the accompanying Santa, Rudolf and snowman would be kept busy making toys for the world’s children in the coming weeks.

St John’s SNS student Indie-Rose Dobson won the age 8 to 10 category for her festive arch decoration, which was upcycled from a disused garden decoration.

The Christmas characters were made from dog food cans and old light bulbs and hung with crisp packets, pasta and wool from an old blanket.

“This creation showed real imaginative cheer, a great use of recycling and will be treasured for years to come by his family,” the spokesperson commented.

Ethan Forde from Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir came out top in the age 11 to 12 category for his Santa’s sleigh entry.

Ethan’s entry required such attention to detail and exceptional crafting, with reindeer made from cork and twigs and Santa’s sleigh made from lollipop sticks adorned with candy canes to hold onto as Santa takes off from the cotton wool snow.

Finally, Niamh Farrell from Glenart College won the age 13 years and over category for her jolly snowmen in a bottle.

Designed from a plastic drink bottle cut in half, Niamh painstakingly crushed old storiform to form the snowy base inside the decoration, with the snowmen’s bodies crafted from bottle corks.

Donned with fabulous scarves fashioned from old wrapping paper and hats from upcycled cardboard, she carefully positioned both figures into the bottle base and melted an additional plastic bottle to seal the top of the decoration.

The inclusion of tiny nail gems surrounding the neck of the decoration involved considerable patience, time, and care.

Praising all the entrants in the competition, SSE Community Engagement Manager Deirdre Keogh said: “SSE Renewables has partnered with Arklow Municipal District for a second year by sponsoring low energy street lighting for this year’s festival and hosting the ‘Design a Christmas decoration from recycled materials’ competition.

“The response to this year’s competition surpassed all expectations. Assisted by an adjudication panel of staff in Arklow Municipal District, with oversight on the selection by Cllr Tommy Annesley, Cathaoirleach, Arklow Municipal District, we had a very difficult task in selecting from the huge number and wide variety of competition entries sent into Arklow Library from schools across the district.

“Those who won in their respective age categories showed outstanding creativity in how they interpreted the competition to repurpose and upcycle materials to fashion outstanding festive decorative creations.

“A special word of thanks goes to the parents, teachers, and staff, who encouraged all those who competed and to the staff at Arklow Library, Arklow Municipal District offices and the volunteers on Arklow’s Festival Committee.”

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