PhotoBox / ChildLine Young Photographer of the Year Winners Announced

LONDON -

- With photo

The NSPCC and PhotoBox today announce the winners of the PhotoBox / ChildLine 2009 Young Photographer of the Year.

The competition, launched at the beginning of September, was open to all children under the age of 18. After receiving a large number of impressive entries, the judges had the difficult job of whittling it down to the lucky four winners from each category: Under 8’s, 9-12 Years, 13-15 Years and 16-18 Years.

Winners

Under 8’s - Sasha: Aged 6, Autumn walk with me and Daddy, a simple shadow image of a father and child 9-12 Years - Zara, Aged 11, Model Pony Procession, an image of model ponies on the horizon 13-15 Years - Chris, Aged 15, A Time to reflect, a sunrise on a lake 16-18 Years - Sophie, aged 17, Great Wall Love, the Great Wall of China showing the ‘Locks of Love’

Each of the winners will receive their own individual prize, ranging from tickets to the new Disney movie UP to one-to-one photography tuition with world famous landscape photographer Charlie Waite. All entries from this year can be seen at youngphotographer.photobox.com/front/welcome

The winner from the 16-18 category, Sophie Matthews, says: “I am extremely excited to be given this opportunity to work with such a well respected photographer as Charlie Waite. I never thought I’d win so I’m just gob smacked and delighted!”

All the shortlisted entries will also be included within a special PhotoBox I ChildLine 2009 Young Photographer of the Year photobook available to buy at www.photoboxgallery.com/nspcc-young-photographer from 30th October. A range of NSPCC greeting cards featuring the same images will also be available at www.photobox.co.uk from 30th October. Both will help generate money for the NSPCC’s ChildLine service with 10% of selling price from the photo book, and 5% of selling price from the greeting cards, going directly to its Child’s Voice Appeal.

One of the judges, professional photographer Annabel Williams of Contemporary Photographic Training, commented: “We were impressed with the array of images submitted in all the categories, making it hard to choose the winners, but we went for the ones we felt best signified the ‘Childs Eye View’ and really stood out for us.”

NSPCC account manager, Gwen Grant commented: “We are delighted with how successful the competition has been and think that the standard of entries has been incredible. Every day, hundreds of calls are made to ChildLine or the NSPCC Helpline for help and many can not get through due to lack of funds. All the funds raised by PhotoBox will go towards our Child’s Voice Appeal which will fund the expansion of our helpline services and bring us closer to our vision of answering every cry for help.”

PhotoBox UK, Managing Director, Mark Chapman says: “We’re very pleased with how popular this competition has proved to be with children throughout the UK. It shows that children are really interested in photography from an early age. We hope to raise as much money as possible for the NSPCC through sales of the photobook and greeting cards, and ideally run this competition again next year.”

Further Information

Under 8’s: Winner: Sasha Gunning, aged 6, Autumn walk with me and Daddy Runners up: Harry Jenkins, aged 8, Found you Mr Conker Harry Jenkins, aged 8, I Made These Gonks 9-12 Years Winner: Zara Kesterton, Aged 11, Model Pony Procession Runners up: Robert James Batson, aged 9, Me taking a Picture of ME! Charleigh Lowe, aged 12, Kingfisher Spotting with Granddad 13-15 Years Winner: Chris Wheeley, aged 15, A Time to Reflect Runners up: Isaac Leach, aged 13, Simple and Strong….Love Helen Fendley, aged 15, Sunset Balloon 16-18 Years Winner: Sophie Matthews, aged 17, Great Wall Love Runners up: Anoushka Brun, aged 16, Inner Reflection Runners up: Abi LeSanto, aged 16, Shattered

Note to Editors:

Pictures accompanying this release are available through the PA Photowire. They can be downloaded from www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or viewed at www.mediapoint.press.net or www.prnewswire.co.uk.

For further information, high-res images and interview opportunities, please contact Speed PR

Source: PhotoBox

Lindsay Wilson lindsay.wilson at speedcommunications.com +44(0)20-7842-3225