News

Calling all young reporters!

  • 10 Sep 2006

Local MP Theresa May encourages Maidenhead students to enter the Parliamentary Press Gallery writing competition 2006-07.

Since 2003 the Parliamentary Press Galley has run a writing competition for students, designed to complement citizenship lessons in schools and aimed at pupils in years 10 to 13.

The competition is divided into age groups and by region and each year a specific theme is chosen for each of them to write on – this year’s theme is the environment.

A winner from each region will be chosen and then a final judging panel including well-known MPs and journalists will decide upon an overall winner for this year’s competition.

All the regional winners will be invited in March 2007 to spend a day in Parliament where they will meet the Speaker and many other Members of Parliament, including the Prime Minister. They will also meet political journalists from the variety of national and regional newspapers, television and radio broadcasters, news agencies, news magazines, internet publishers and the specialist press represented in the Press Gallery.

Theresa said, ‘The competition provides an exciting opportunity for young people interested in journalism or politics.

‘It is wonderful to see events which promote amongst young people awareness and discussion of the values of parliamentary democracy and the political process.

‘I encourage all Maidenhead students to give this competition a go. Good Luck!’

NOTES TO EDITORS

  1. The overall topic of this year’s competition is the environment and the specific subjects and age groups are as follows.

    Years 10 & 11. The UK recycles far less than the EU average. Imagine you are media advisor to the Environment Minister: suggest three ideas to encourage recycling for a media campaign targetted at young people. (approx. 800 words)

    Years 12 & 13. Imagine you are an investigative journalist researching a documentary on the environmental and political consequences of economic growth in China and India. Identify three ways in which these factors are likely to impact on the global environment. (approx 1500 words)

  2. Please see http://www.writenow.org.uk/ and www.parliamentarypressgallery.org.uk for further details.