Flowers of Youth help Stockton in Bloom

Young people from across Stockton have helped to make their mark in the town’s efforts to win Northumbria in Bloom, submitting floral-themed paintings to feature on special hoardings in Wellington Square Shopping Centre.

The Stockton in Bloom team approached local primary schools to help their contribution to the annual competition, which Stockton is bidding to win this year following its success in last year’s Northumbria in Bloom contest.

Every year, Wellington Square goes to town in its efforts support the community in the competition, with large floral displays around the centre and a specially commissioned sculpture in the central square. The young people’s paintings feature on hoardings between the store fronts, providing an eye-catching and colourful accompaniment to the displays and hanging banners.

“We are always keen to showcase local talent and it’s great to give our local children the opportunity to have their art on public display,” says Rob Gildersleeve, Wellington Square centre manager. “The centre looks really stunning and I’m sure the judges will be delighted to see that young people are playing their part.”

Pupils at participating schools were asked to submit their drawings to a judging panel that included the Mayor of Stockton, Cllr William Noble. The selected entries were then printed onto the hoardings that are displayed throughout Wellington Square .

“The talents of young people in Stockton never cease to amaze me and they have certainly made a colourful contribution to our wider efforts to win Britain in Bloom,” says Cllr Noble. “Choosing the winning paintings was no easy task, but I’m confident that our selections will really show off the artistic abilities of Stockton ’s young people to the judges.”