11-year-old Halifax school pupil announced as winner of Jubilee plaque competition

The competition saw school pupils across Calderdale submit hundreds of creative and innovative entries which were designed as a lasting tribute to Her Majesty The Queen.

The winners and runners-up were revealed in a special ceremony on Sunday 5 June, the final day of the four-day historic Jubilee celebrations at The Piece Hall. The West Yorkshire representative of Her Majesty, Lord Lieutenant Ed Anderson, presented the certificates of achievement.

The winning design was created by Riley Yelland from Old Earth School, who created a brightly-coloured, stripy logo to mark Her Majesty’s 70 years of service. Riley’s work will be on proud, permanent display on the wall by The Piece Hall’s Westgate, becoming a treasured piece of local history much like the building itself.

Nicky Chance-Thompson DL, chief executive of The Piece Hall Trust, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people coming together to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee and mark this historic occasion at The Piece Hall.

“Revealing the winner of the plaque design competition was a great way to mark the end of our Jubilee celebrations, which saw an incredible turnout of over 50,000 visitors. We were really impressed with the entries; the standard was very high and the winning plaque will serve as a lasting legacy of Her Majesty’s incredible achievement and this fantastic period for The Piece Hall.”

Lord Lieutenant Ed Anderson also commented: “It was a privilege to be invited down to The Piece Hall to reveal the winner of the commemorative Jubilee plaque design competition.

“It was great to see people of all ages coming down to engage in the local celebrations. The design competition was a great way to get young people right across the borough involved in the occasion, paying homage to Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.”

Also recognised for their creative designs, which are set to be displayed at The Piece Hall, were:

Bisma Ahmed from Parkinson Lane School – highly commended

Megan Shaw from Todmordern High School – runner-up

Jake Crossley from Moorside Community Primary School – runner-up

The competition efforts were supported by local MPs, Holly Lynch and Craig Whittaker. The winning design has now been turned into a plaque, funded by a generous donor.

Throughout the course of the bank holiday and Jubilee weekend, The Piece Hall hosted a day of civic pride; a local celebration of the emergency services; a vibrant Concert for the Queen; and a street party-style celebration.

The Jubilee celebrations at The Piece Hall were planned in collaboration with Calderdale Council, Sowerby Bridge Rotary and the Community Foundation.