YOUNGSTERS from across Suffolk showed off their artistic talents at an annual schools event at Muntons in Stowmarket this week.

The Suffolk Schools Competition, organised in partnership by Muntons plc, the Suffolk Agricultural Association and Suffolk County Council, focused this year on the importance of water to the farming community and its livestock.

The early year foundation stage children were asked to create a painting of an animal enjoying a wet day on a Suffolk farm. The older students had to invent a recipe and packaging for a drink using pure water as its base.

The overall quality of entries was exceptionally high, judges said.The winners were: Early Years Foundation Stage: Rendlesham Primary School; Key Stage 1: Heath Primary School; Key Stage 2 Option 1: Scaltback Middle School; Option 2:The Old School Henstead; Key Stage 3-4: Northgate High; Special School: Priory.

Other projects, designed to stretch the creative ability of the students, included the building of models of creatures that live in the water and the production of a piece of creative writing entitled ‘Where would Suffolk farming be without water?’

The Sponsors of this year’s event include Lloyds TSB, The Home Grown Cereals Authority, DHL Supply chain James and Son, Muntons plc, The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Holy Cow! and Chadacre Agricultural Trust and this year the judges were Bob Hall - James and Son (Grain merchants), Rebecca Geraghty – HGCA, Mick Hubbert – The Royal Bank of Scotland, Steve Harley – Lloyds TSB Bank, Terry Hunt – East Anglian Daily Times, Simon White – Suffolk County Council, James Hurrell – DHL Supply Chain, Andy Meades – Holy Cow! and Dr Helen Smith – Chadacre Agricultural Trust and chaired by - Muntons plc Managing Director Alan Ridealgh.