Wow! Hackney schoolgirl designs award-winning badge
A Hackney girl has designed a badge that will be worn by hundreds of thousands of children in the campaign to get youngsters walking to school.
Honor Muskett was one of eleven winners of the Walk Once a Week (WoW) badge design contest by national charity Living Streets, and run in conjunction with Hackney Council, to promote travelling to school by foot.
The scheme sees collectable badges awarded to children who regularly walk to school. Honor's design, featuring an electric whisk, beat 140,000 other youngsters in this year’s theme ‘When I Grow Up’.
The budding chef, who attends St John of Jerusalem Church of England Primary School, in Kingshold Road, was presented with a trophy emblazoned with her drawing from children’s author Loretta d’Souza last month.
Honor, eight, also received a copy of the best-selling writer’s latest book ‘Speak to the Paw Cos the Cat’s Not Listening’ at an awards ceremony in East London.
Honor said: “When I found out that I had won the WoW badge design competition, I thought 'oh my gosh, I've won, this day can't get any better'.
Then I found out that there was a massive party and I had to collect my award. "I was a bit nervous at first but it was totally awesome.
The day was really, really exciting and loads of fun. There were kids from all over the country there.
“I can't wait to see my badge in June. The whole experience was epic and fun."
Each of the winners' designs will feature on one of the 300,000 monthly badges awarded to children, with Honor's appearing in June next year.
It was great to see so much enthusiasm from Hackney schools for the WoW badge design competition. The standard of artwork was excellent from Hackney schools and it’s fantastic that one of them has been chosen to be included on next year’s series of badges. Hackney Council is committed to keeping children in the borough healthy, active and happy and Walk once a Week has proven to be a popular and successful incentive for getting more children and parents to walk to school. We look forward to seeing Honor’s winning badge design being worn by students taking part in WoW next year.
WoW is a core part of Hackney's sustainable travel to school programme
More than 70% of pupils from Hackney schools who take part in WoW now walk to school every day, while car use is down to a new low of 8.5%.
Living Streets Chief Executive, Tony Armstrong, said: “Less than half of our children walk to school now. Living Streets is working hard to reverse this trend and the badges are an essential part of the success of WoW in schools. They are very collectable and a great incentive.
“We know children enjoy their walk to school and building some exercise into their day helps to keep them fit and healthy today and safeguard their health for the future."