NEWS RELEASE

Zainab is top of the ‘tree’ with her woodland pack

30 June 2011 - Today at the national Mobility Roadshow taking place at the East of England Showground, Peterborough, the winners of the national schools’ Ready Willing & Mobile competition were announced by disabled Desperados and Eastenders actor David Proud.

The competition, organised by charity Mobility Choice, aims to encourage young people from the age of seven to think about those less able than themselves. In this its seventh year, a new outdoor theme was introduced, seeking ideas to help people with disabilities to gain easy access to and maximum enjoyment from our woodlands and forests.

With her bright idea for a young person’s woodland backpack designed to be fun, exciting and educational, 11 year old Zainab Khan, a pupil at Perry Hall Primary School in Bromley was announced outright winner from a field of over 300 entries in two aged groups: 7-11 and 12-16 years.

Extremely close as runner-up was 12 year old Becky Costello, a student at Sacred Heart of Mary Girls’ School in Upminster. Becky impressed the judges with her concept for a brightly coloured, informative pack of bird watching cards that incorporated both touch-button audio and Braille descriptions for blind people.

Winner, Zainab, also had partially-sighted children in mind when devising her backpack, which included bright, bold alphabet badges featuring woodland creatures; butterfly and pond nets and a collection pot, together with a magnifying glass to aid identification.  The judges were impressed with her entry, which they felt was ‘very practical and something that many young people would be very pleased to have and use; not only those partially-sighted’.

Presenting the prizes David Proud said: “It is wonderful that through the Ready Willing & Mobile competition, hundreds of young people in schools and clubs throughout the UK have wanted to help people with disabilities. Having joined the judging panel for the first time, I was particularly excited to announce this year's winners, keen to learn if the entry that gained my top mark had won outright." 

Jacqui Jones, Executive Director, Mobility Choice said the charity was delighted that over the years many schools has used the competition to reinforce issues such as social integration, disability awareness and inclusive communities. “The creativity of young people seems boundless. Each year we are amazed at the variety of ideas put forward and the desire to help others.”

As outright winner Zainab bags for her school the top prize of £1,000 cash for equipment, £300-worth of STAEDTLER art and crafts materials, £100-worth of Penguin books and a year’s school membership of the Woodland Trust Nature Detectives’ Club.  For herself she wins an overnight stay for four at a Holiday Inn in London with a trip on the London Eye.

Both girls have already won a digital camera, Penguin books and the Woodland Trust Nature Detective’s Club membership as reward for winning their relevant age categories in the competition.

The Ready Willing & Mobile 2011 competition is supported by Aspire, DisabledGo, Holiday Inn, Penguin, Phab Kids, the Royal College of Art, STAEDTLER, Vauxhall and the Woodland Trust.

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Editorial contact for more information:

Rosemary Vaux at Mobility Roadshow press office

Direct line: 020 8943 5343 mobile 07792 72 62 41 email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

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