Winners for PAT Mary Meals project unveiled

Talented young pupils from across the UK have entered a logo design competition for a global project.

Over 1,300 entries were submitted for the PAT (People All Together) 2014 project, which together with Mary’s Meals, aims to raise awareness of malnutrition in third world countries.

Nyle Backhouse (9), from Little Ealing Primary School in London, came up with the winning logo design which will now be used on all communication and marketing materials to promote the research project across the world until its completion in 2014.

Winner Nyle with Lindsay Graham from the PAT project

Nyle’s winning logo was chosen as its imaginative design best fitted the brief and its simple and adaptable design best represented PAT 2014.

Competition runners-up were:
Aidan McCann (10-14yrs category) Turnbull High School, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow
Emma Browman (15-18yrs category) Braidhurst High School, Motherwell, Glasgow

Lindsay Graham, a leading school food and health adviser, who is heading up the PAT 2014 project, said: “The national judges and steering committee were delighted with Nyle’s design.

“It complements the PAT 2014 mission statement and captures the ethos of the project. We were astounded by the number of entries and were delighted with the overall winning logo.”

PAT 2014 has support from a variety of organisations across the UK including regional government departments in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales, voluntary and commercial sectors. The research will consider the provision and impact of school feeding in six commonwealth countries, including India and Malawi where Mary’s Meals projects are already established.

Tony Begley, Education Co-ordinator for Mary’s Meals, said: “We were overwhelmed by both the quantity and quality of the entries from the three age categories. We are delighted to join forces with the PAT project which hopes to raise funds for Mary’s Meals whilst doing valuable research.”

The winning entry and other runners-up were announced at this year’s Real Food Festival in Earls Court.

Nyle received his Apple iPad from food writer and chef Lucas Hollweg and each winning school received £100 of computer vouchers, with category winners also taking home £50 in vouchers.

Aidan McCann from Turnbull High School

Through a social media campaign, candidates will be invited to apply to be one of 20 ‘PAT2014 Champions’ selected to conduct research in Malawi, India, Australia, South Africa, Cyprus and the UK.

Working alongside the University of Hull, they will look at the social and cultural value of food to children. They will record their findings and share the outcomes of the project prior to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

The non-profit PAT project is still in its early planning stages and will shortly launch its website.

Emma Browman from Braidhurst Primary School