PrintIT Prize Winners Set Off For Windward Islands

Fifteen-year-olds Rosie Whinney, Laura Prime and Kieran Peck from Northgate High School in Ipswich (UK) will travel to the Caribbean to visit Fairtrade banana farmers in the Windward Islands.

Fifteen-year-olds Rosie Whinney, Laura Prime and Kieran Peck from Northgate High School in Ipswich (UK) will travel to the Caribbean to visit Fairtrade banana farmers in the Windward Islands.

The children won the trip of a lifetime by coming top in the national PrintIT! competition.

Nearly 23,000 students from 540 schools across the country took part in the PrintIT! competition, which was curriculum-mapped to their GCSE graphic products course.

The three winning students were awarded first prize for planning a print-based campaign on behalf of the Fairtrade and, in the process, gained an understanding of the range of careers available in the print industry.

Michael Gaffney, design and technology teacher at Northgate High School, who will be accompanying the children, said: "We are all thrilled about the trip.

I am particularly delighted for Kieran, Laura and Rosie as for them this will be a very special experience they will remember for the rest of their lives.

We would all like to thank PrintIT!, the sponsors and the Fairtrade Foundation for giving us this fantastic opportunity.

During the trip, the children will learn how Fairtrade farmers on St Lucia benefit from the Fairtrade price and premium.

Now, one in three of all Windward Islands bananas carry the Fairtrade Mark.

That means that farmers get a higher price for their bananas and a premium, which is invested in commercial, social or environmental projects.

On St Lucia the premium has been used to improve farm roads and equip the science laboratory at the local school.

Veronica Pasteur, campaigns officer at the Fairtrade Foundation, who will be present during the visit, said: "Congratulations to Kieran, Laura and Rosie.

Their eye-catching Fairtrade fruit campaign designs really deserved the top prize, so we are delighted that they are now getting this opportunity to meet farmers groups and find out first-hand the difference that Fairtrade has made - not just for the farmers themselves, but also for some of the young people in the community too.

Back to top