Peterborough Conservatives are proud to shine a spotlight on a fantastic initiative from our Paston & Walton ward councillors, Ivelina Banyalieva and Alex Rafiq, who had recently launched an "I Love Nature" art competition for children across the ward.
This is exactly the kind of hands-on, community-focused work our councillors do every day, often away from the headlines. Cllr Banyalieva and Cllr Rafiq wanted to give local children a reason to get creative, get outdoors in their imagination, and be recognised for their efforts. So they teamed up with three local schools, Discovery Primary Academy, Paston Ridings Primary School and Caverstede Nursery School, to make it happen.
Children were invited to capture their own view of nature, from garden birds and blooming flowers to trees and the changing seasons, and the response from pupils has been brilliant, with hundreds of entries showing real imagination and talent.
What makes this competition stand out is the emphasis both councillors placed on inclusion from day one. Every child who took part received a small gift simply for entering, and additional prizes were set aside specifically for children with disabilities and additional needs, so that every pupil could feel proud of what they had achieved. Winners at each school were announced on 9 July.
This is only the start. Cllr Banyalieva and Cllr Rafiq are already working on a bigger community event, planned for Itter Park at the end of August, again with children with disabilities and additional needs front and centre. More details will follow in the coming weeks, and we'll be sharing them here as soon as they're confirmed.
Peterborough Conservatives would like to thank the schools, teachers, parents and guardians who supported the competition, and above all congratulate every child who took part. This is local Conservative representation at its best: practical, inclusive, and focused on giving every young person in our city the chance to shine.