I think it’s lovely that I’ve been recognised in a national photography competition
A retired Whitburn teacher has been shortlisted for a UK-wide photography award.
A powerful photograph, taken Alan Brown, from Whitburn, has been shortlisted as a finalist in a UK-wide photography competition.
Alan’s entry is a candid photo that captures a young girl and a wheelchair user holding hands.
The competition is being held by Caremark, a leading home care provider, as part of its ‘What is Care?’ competition - which marks 20 years of Caremark championing home care in local communities.
Members of the public were asked to capture what care means to them in everyday life, from small gestures to big moments.
Out of hundreds of entries, one finalist was chosen from each of the UK’s 12 regions, with the winning photographer set to receive a £1,000 luxury getaway.
Speaking about his entry, Alan said: “I’ve always tried to capture candid moments that celebrate life as it is today — honest and emotional moments.
“When we think about care, we often see it as one-way: someone caring for someone else. But in this image, there’s care flowing both ways.
“Young children, often without even realising, can show such instinctive care, and those little moments can make a huge difference.
“Photography is a hobby that gets me out, keeps me active, and helps me connect with people.
“I wanted to put myself out there with this entry — it’s not something I’d normally do — so it was lovely to be shortlisted and have that recognition.
“If I were lucky enough to win, I’d love to take my wife away on a holiday together.”
Emma Scholes, Caremark’s Director of Marketing, has given an insight into why Alan’s photo was selected to be among the finalists of the competition.
She commented: “We’ve been genuinely moved by the creativity and thoughtfulness behind so many of the entries.
“With such an incredible standard from across the country, narrowing it down to just 12 finalists was tough because each photograph carried a personal story, so judging them was emotionally challenging.
“We felt that Alan’s photograph stood out as a powerful reflection of what care can mean.”
The winner will be decided by members of the public, with voting now open on Caremark’s Facebook page ().
Voting will close at 9am on September 29, 2025, and the entry with the highest number of public votes will be announced as the winner.
For more information about the competition and to view all the photos, visit: https://www.caremark.co.uk/whatiscare/.