New designs to promote Otley’s status as a Fairtrade town have been produced by schoolchildren.

Otley For Fairtrade and Economic Rights (OFFER) invited primary school pupils to take part in a create-a-poster competition based on the theme of the benefits of fair trade.

The winning entries have now been chosen by Town Mayor Councillor Pam Gill (Lab, Manor) and will feature on a new banner for Otley.

OFFER treasurer Allan Boddy said: “We are giving a trophy to the winning entry in each year group and to the overall winner.

“The winning designs will be used to create a banner declaring Otley to be a Fairtrade town, which will be displayed in public on appropriate occasions.”

The overall winner, featuring a yin-yang inspired symbol, was created by George Smith, a Year 6 pupil at Otley All Saints Primary School.

Mr Boddy hopes that design might, eventually, be used as a template for Fairtrade signs that would go up at the various entry points into the town.

Coun Gill, who inspected the entries in the foyer of Otley Core Resource Centre, said: “All the entries were really, really good and there were some very good designs in each of the year groups.

“It was very hard to choose an overall winner, given the different ages of the children and knowing that it had to make a good sign as well.”

George’s design was also a favourite among visitors to the Core, who were asked to say which poster they preferred.

Coun Gill was accompanied by Otley Town Council leader Councillor John Eveleigh (Lab, Ashfield) and Mr Boddy, who is also chairman of governors at All Saints Primary, for the trophy presentation ceremony last week.

George was given his award during assembly at All Saints, which had focused on bananas during its work for Fairtrade Fortnight – and rounded off the celebrations with a pyjamas day.

OFFER is now aiming to encourage more local schools to earn Fairtrade status. Mr Boddy said: “At present two schools in Otley are Fairtrade schools – All Saints and Prince Henry’s Grammar School.

“We hope to persuade some of the other primaries to become Fairtrade schools over the next few years. Paying a fair price for goods produced in the poorer parts of the world is an important and pretty uncontroversial message to get across to children and adults.”

  • The other competition winners were: Year 1 – Lizzie Kirk (All Saints); Year 2 – Molly Smith (All Saints); Year 3 – Jasmine Dadge (All Saints); Year 4 – Ethan Hawke (Ashfield); Year 5 – Molly Hird (Westgate).