Winners revealed as the Jarrow March 90th anniversary poetry competition sees almost 300 entries
Almost 300 entries were submitted to Kate Osborne MP’s Jarrow March poetry competition.
A poetry competition to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Jarrow March has been an overwhelming success.
Kate Osborne, the MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East, launched the competition at the start of March - with the theme of the poems having to centre on the anniversary of the March.
Having started on October 5, 1936, the Jarrow March was an organised protest against the unemployment and poverty that was being suffered in Jarrow during the 1930s.
Overwhelming amount of entries
Almost 300 entries were received for the competition and an awards ceremony was held at Hebburn Town FC on Thursday, May 21, to announce the winners.
Around 200 people attended the ceremony where each entry received a commemorative disc designed by Jarrow-based JT Workshop, a certificate, and an invite to Parliament in October for the anniversary event.
Albie, from Bede Burn Primary School, and Imogen, from St Matthew’s Catholic Primary School, were the overall winners of the competition.
There was also gold, silver and bronze winners from Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and secondary school students.
‘Important for children to know their local history’
Following the competition, the Jarrow and Gateshead East MP has expressed the importance of children in her constituency knowing their local history.
Ms Osborne said: “It has been a fantastic afternoon here, we’ve had around 200 children, teachers, parents and carers in the room and I think enjoy has enjoyed it.
“But I think I got the best deal because I got to read all of the poems and decide on the winners.
“It has been amazing to see the creativity of all these children who are obviously proud of their history of the March and their knowledge of it - even down to the Key Stage 1 and reception children.
“It is very important for children to know their local history and when I go to schools, I make a point of asking about local history.
“I completely expect to hear that they are learning about the Jarrow March because they say if you don’t know where you’ve been, then you don’t know where you’re going.
“I certainly believe in that.”
With the competition now at an end, the poems will go on to be featured in a special book to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Jarrow March.