Weekly Competition #27

29 March 2019

WINNERS ANNOUNCED:
idealistic_cat and astounding_currant

We enjoyed reading about the positive community projects taking place where you live. Thanks for sharing your entries; it was very hard to decide the winners! Coincidentally, our winning entries this week come from two schools who are new to the prize! We liked reading about families spending time together in a beautiful garden, and thought the open-mindedness from the student at Cowes Enterprise College was excellent. Good job!

WEEKLY COMPETITION #27

Unfortunately, the Brexit process has brought lots of negative headlines and has even divided communities.

So this week, we'd like you to find out about something POSITIVE that has been happening in your local community! We want to hear about an event or initiative that has helped to bring people together. You might want to check out your local paper for a news story.

Tell us what has been been happening, how it has brought the community together and what you think about it!

Good luck. Winners will be announced next Friday!

Comments (73)

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  • I found something positive and it's that there are still people that back are points up and help us think of our decisions.

  • We should stand up for our points!

  • In my local community, we have built a lovely garden and almost all the children and parents come there every day and I think that the garden is a beautiful place to visit and to spend time with your family.

  • My new positive point is that our school will be celebrating 80 years of our school standing, we will be inviting young and old teachers and staff to come and join us for the teddy bear picnic, we will be having a lot of fun in the sunshine but that is if the teachers can make it.

  • Like the Brexit it can give a lot democracy and a lot arguments but we dont know

  • In Westgate, there was an opening for a new restaurant recently and many people attended. This bought many people together and even made my family some new friends in our new neighbourhood. Proactive piccolo🍕🍟

    In Margate, there is a festival every day and as I live near dreamland, I can hear the music. Many people come to these festivals and can socialise. I have only been to 1 but I can hear most of them and see the fireworks. Crafty context🎆🎵

  • My class (community) because we work together and share each others point of view.

  • I think my classroom brings us as a community together; there is loads of friendship and nobody has hated we have only loved

  • In are local community Olivia [economist working with BNC ] has come in to help us get stars and overall improve are BNC skills.My classroom has brought us together as a school ;there is loads of friendship and joy [even though there are mild arguments between the girls] we are a happy, good class and school in general

  • I think my classroom brings the community together because people are all friends and we don't hate each other whilst learning and playing outside, if we fall out we become friends again.

  • We have Burnet News Club every Friday and its a good way to discuss with Year 5 and 6. This brings us as a community together: we are able to bring topical issues to the table for discussion.

  • Where I live for Harry and Meghans wedding we had a street party and everyone shared food and got together and just talked instead of sitting watching it on your own. This was good because i got to know my fellow neighbours.

  • People living in Mozambique and Zimbabwe were drastically affected by Cyclone Idai. Amazingly the people around the UK have raised £8 million to help those affected back to their feet. I think this is amazing because even whilst around the world, people are doing horrible and evil things a time of need like this can bring us back together.

  • On Red Nose Day, one school raised £630.72p. It was a similar amount

  • At cowes enterprise college the builders have started work on our very own 3g football pitch!
    For those who don't know what they are, it is an all weather football pitch and does not require you to wear studs. Even though I am not as excited about it, because I don't like sport, I think its a great opportunity for those in our school who want to be involved in sport when they are older. This brings people together because of the fun and memories that you share using the pitch.
    From
    astounding_currant

  • In my village we had the gang show which is a thing the scouts do every other year. We also got a new district community.

  • All the power in our neighborhood went out and at first it was viewed as an unfortunate incident but for those few days our community was very close because we were all struggling with the same power cut and should anyone have an issue for example the fridge stopped working or the heating went cold, others were happy to help. So when it was fixed we were more social and friendly.
    If we have a common understanding and experience we then are more empathetic and friendly. Understanding is the key to a strong community

  • Not that long ago, Comic Relief Red Nose Day was held at our school and worldwide. In school, you come to school wearing anything red and pay your donation. Amazingly, Comic Relief raised a whopping £63,938,072! But it’s not over yet. You can still donate money on the website, right now! - https://www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday

    This is one of the stories of the people that need the money others are donating...
    When you donate to Comic Relief you’re supporting vulnerable people and communities in the UK and internationally. Their vision is to create a just world free from poverty and they’re doing this by funding amazing organizations doing amazing things.

  • In my community there is a new park being built and everyone is going to go. there r swings and these huge balls you can climb across with nets and everything it is going to be so much fun i cant wait yay

  • Brexit is horror but it has brought happiness and joy by bringing family to gether

  • People in my community have been discussing-after the big argument over Brexit-and have re-united after fighting over what’s going on and have been discussing on what they think about the Brexit situation. This means that a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders because I can relax without knowing that people I love and care for aren’t arguing over something.

  • Recently there has been a Brexit petition posted by the the government on the internet. If you want to stay in the EU, you could sign the petition. It has now reached over 5.5 million signatures! I think this is positive because many people changed their minds about leaving the European Union, and it would be fair if we had another referendum.
    I would really like to know one thing; will there actually BE another referendum? And, if it will, when will it happen?

  • We had a bake sale help race money for th year 6 school trip after sates

  • In school me and my class were learning about mountain gorillas, poachers and conservation. You can adopt a gorilla to save these beloved creatures from devastation. Help us save these furry animals. This is positive not just for my community but for everyone's community because more and more citizens are helping these critically endangered species from extinction.

  • Today at school was a special event for being 100% attendance and two people made it to 100% and got a special prize which is a bike and they showed a important value know as excellence but there was a other children who also got 100% but we did the raffle to decided who would get the bikes.I think this is fair because if there was more than one child who got 100% and there was only two prizes so picking someone that's random is the fairest way.

  • In school my friend won a bike because she has got 100 percent attendance for some time and has then been awarded with a bike on this current day. She is so happy that she won she jumped in enjoyment and stated "Yes this is the bike I`ve always wanted, I`m going to ride it after school hours and celebrate when i get home after the club i go to has finished. This encourages the children at Elaine to have 100 percent attendance because they will get rewarded. It also encourages people to stay active.

  • In our school there is group called the JLT (the Junior Leadership Team) they have currently put an inspirational quote
    too try their best and they have put out a voice box to inspire pupils to state what they think about the school.

  • In our school there is a group called the JLT (the Junior Leadership Team) they have recently invented a voice box for pupils to state want they would do to improve the school,they also are improving the school everyday by creating new ways of learning for pupils to enjoy school. By having the box you can state your thoughts without having to say who has made it.

  • In our end of term year seven assembly, everyone sang 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley. Some people were playing on the keyboard and some people were playing the ukelele and the rest of year seven were singing.

    I think that this was a great idea because it allowed us to show off our music skills. Also, I was one of the people on the keyboard. Furthermore, one of our teachers wasn't in school for a long time -and she taught music- so she came into the year seven assembly and our singing made her happy to be back (hopefully).

    This has brought us together as a community because it was the first time we sang that song together as a large group and, luckily, it worked out. Also, studies have shown that singing gives off something called endorphins (these are the things that make us feel happy). Moreover, the people playing an instrument helped bring the whole piece together.

    Overall, it was a really fun thing to do.

  • The subject I shall be talking about is: “Ceremony celebrates positive results of Thurrock Council childcare services.”
    To begin with, this article is positive as it brought people together (mostly childminders and preschool teachers.) Throughout this article, it celebrates the achievements in which the school have achieved- such as the outstanding offset rating. This article is astounding since the school invited senior leaders to notice the hardworking staff and the excellent care provided. The early year’s school also acknowledged the importance of education and they enjoyed teaching the children and looking after them. Most people who attended the event each got a certificate for their work and support and their positive attribute towards learning. Furthermore, if we look at the website included, we can see that the school wants the best for their students, and they are preparing them for adulthood. ( They are preparing their younger students to progress.) This article is also supporting parents as if they have a job to go to, then they can rely on childcare services to keep their child safe. Since 2016, Thurrock has improved by over 89% and more childminders are being recognised for their work which I believe is fantastic. If this article was shared, then i believe it would make many people happy and some may feel appreciative. Overall, this article is very positive as childcare is very important as it could shape a child’s life and the way they interpret things.

  • in our school we have a worry box and if you are worried you can write your worry and every Friday we read all the worries without our teacher saying the names and we give advice to them

    1. This sounds like a great idea!

  • When I was going to school, I stopped of at West India Key and saw a poster saying that people are going to have another vote based n Brexit and it might be close again who knows

  • Friends and family came together.

  • In our school everyone gets their right.

  • In my community, this Saturday 60.000 people went to see at Wanda Metropolitano ( Atletico of Madrid´s football stadium) the femenin football players of Atletico against Barcelona, New World Record of spectators watching femenin football, and I had the pleasure to go and watch their excellent talent playing football.

  • Today my mother cooked me a incredible sandwich. This is positive because I have learned the recipe which is exceptional.

  • In Spain, Lea Vicens became Spain's Elite Bullfighter. She is the first woman, and furthermore, she isn't Spain, she is French. This is positive because, now, we have a woman that is in the same level/ category of men.

    1. This is a good example of gender equality. Some people think that Bullfighting should be banned altogether. How would you respond to this?

  • climate change is a problem that Spain is trying to solve by not polluting. They have stopped cars that are not electric in the centre of Madrid. This is positive because theres not gonna be so much pollution.

  • The most positive thing about Brexit is it made people have their say even people who are normally very quiet they still went to protest and have their say to say what they thought about Brexit

  • A positive story from my local newspaper: 'Swindon Tesco Extra removes plastic packaging from some fruit and veg'.

    This Tesco is 'one of only two in England to be part of a trial to cut down on packaging waste by selling loose alternatives to 45 different wrapped products including apples, onions, mushrooms, peppers, bananas and avocados.'

    This means that lots of vegetables and fruits sold at this local tesco will not be packaged in plastic. This is definitely a positive because it means we will be using less one-use, unnecessary plastic waste and so we will, as a community have a lower impact on our environment. Also, by being one of the first Tescos to do so, we are leading the way and encouraging other shops and public around the country to do the same, and reduce their plastic usage.

    Also, apart from having positive effects on our local community, it especially has positive effects on our wider community: our county, our country and in some ways the world. This is because the Tescos reducing their plastic encourages other shops and people to do so to. Eventually, this could make a big impact. Tescos is purely doing their small part and creating an example (of being eco-friendly) for others to aim for and follow. If everyone started changing little things, like buying loose vegetables rather than packaged ones, like Tescos have, then eventually, with everyone making little changes, it could really make a difference to reducing global warming and climate change.

    Climate change and global warming have been in the news a lot recently, with several youth strikes campaigning against the government's inactivity when it comes to climate change. What we, as people can do about it is gradually starting to make small, but on large scales significant changes to our lifestyle to make it more harmonious with the environment, and what my local Tescos is doing is just setting an example and encouraging others to do just that. It definitely has a positive affect on our community because it is making our community more eco-friendly and making people more aware and responsible for our impact on the environment.

  • After Success of First 3D-Printed Home in US, 50 More Homes Are Being Built for Poor Families .
    From this It is just basically saying that 50 more homes are being built for poor people so hat makes me happy because in the world the are in different countries that people are poor and in this title people are using their effort and their time to help these people and that is very kind of them to do that.
    F

  • Personally I think that I have found something else that is positive:

    Well in class i found out that when we were properly in the EU the government had to pay the EU leaders quite a lot of money and maybe now we leave we can have more money to go towards school and hospitals and banks so we can keep them running and we don't run out of money as quickly.

  • Near where i live we have a country park called ferry meadows. here lots of events take place bringing the community together to appreciate wildlife. One of the latest events is Pond dipping this is where young children get to look at wildlife and get involved in the local community.

    Another of it's events include Elder crafts which is where old people get to go and chat an do what they love.

    May i just mention that it all cheap so that everybody can join. I love this and think that there should be one in every city to appreciate the natural beauty of an area and bring people together.

  • When I was looking through the news trying to find positive news stories this story caught my eye. It was the only particularly uplifting story within the website and it shows that some people are still kind in this community.
    You can find the website from this link following:
    https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/homeless-man-gets-housing-and-work-thanks-to-teen-who-saw-plea-for-work/

  • Our local community hospice is having an afternoon tea session, which is good for our community. This is because that this is raising money for the people in the hospice, and for their end of life care. This just shows that paying for a cup of tea can be beneficial to anyone. The money raised will not only help the people in care, but their families too- you are doing a good deed for numerous people.

  • in my local community there have been numerous accidents involving children on their way to school but recently the council has made safer crossings so there has been less accidents and I am happy that nobody died in the accidents.

  • Recently, my secondary school has performed our school show. The tickets were open to be bought by the public, and as a result, many of our old primary school teachers came! It gave us a chance to catch up with what had been happening at our old schools and what had changed since we left. Many people that came, met up with someone that they had not seen in ages.

    To me, this makes me happy, because it meant that everybody did not only had an amazing time, but met up with someone that they had not seen in ages!

  • In my school Ormiston Bushfield Academy I saw somebody get their food stolen.
    I felt bad for them because in Primary school I had that happen to me and I was really upset so I gave them half my sandwich and my chocolate bar because I didn't want them to feel how I felt in primary.

  • A new youth club was set up in my area recently, it runs in the evening on Friday and loads of people turn up. It's an amazing opportunity for those who would normally be roaming the streets at night to make friends in a calm and supportive environment. These has been a really helpful for me and others as it allows a diverse range of people from all backgrounds to interact and converse.

  • Last year in a local newspaper, there was a story of a 50 year old man who raised money for charity. The only thing is that it was to skydive!
    In the article, it explains how he lost his infant daughter so he decided on his 50th birthday to do something that he had done before and enjoyed. He wanted a goal of £750 and ended up raising 122% of that (£915). I also have found the article: https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/david-to-go-sky-high-in-thank-you-to-charity-1-8372869
    According to him, this was the high of his life (since I went to watch him and he talked to me.)

    1. Thanks for sharing this - in which way did it help to bring the community together?

  • Currently there is a myriad of subjects in which we can hold in high esteem as being positive

  • Colchester half marathon raised money for charity

  • Despite all the negative things in the world, our school community of debaters join together on a Monday night to find a brighter side of these difficult questions that others face. With fast friendly discussions it's easy to uncover more about the growing world of important news. Brexit debates are educational and leave no stone unturned so that are community is united in are different opinions.

  • Everything in Brexit was bad except for one thing, people who had no voice could stand up for what they believed in. Imagine homeless people, they couldn't do anything they truly wanted. But after the referendum they could have a say in what the country could do.

  • In our school 12 students got to go to the amazing, University of Oxford!Even better, I was part of it! Here is the link to the schools twitter page, just scroll down and look at them https://twitter.com/ArnhemWharf.
    After this amazing trip I was hoping to apply and to get into University of Oxford.

    Fun Facts:
    1. Did you know Theresa May had gone to the Oxford
    2. David Cameron went to oxford
    3. The university of Oxford is more than 900 years old
    4. The University has customised Gargoyles
    5.There is a statue of King Charles II up high in one of the University walls.

  • Good news for our Leeds community this week. The British Library have announced they are planning to build a brand new site in Leeds. It’s also good news for all the surrounding area up North because people will not have to trek all the way down to London just to see rare books and archives of old manuscripts and perhaps listen to old audios of published and unpublished recordings of music from all over the world. It will be a pleasure to learn more of our past from these historical archives and for all schools and communities alike. It’s great for the community even if you don’t have any interest into these things because it’s a symbol of optimism due to this major investment. It will boost our economy and create further jobs. Also, it’s a great message to say to other parts of the country that big institutions based in London such as the British Library are able to expand further afield to benefit other communities at large.

  • One thing that has brought my community together lately is that there has been many television news reports and radio discussions in my local area. There has been many radio discussions and it has improved my area’s mood quite recently.

    The reason I believe this is that people have been arguing about Brexit, leave or remain. Adults from both sides of the argument have been equally disappointed and it is making rage and fury across the United Kingdom. Television broadcasts and radio discussions change the mood since people talk together about Brexit, why should we leave or remain and on the news discussions, everyone has a say from all different places in the UK. They get to express their opinion, with no one interfering and the news reporter talks to the person about it and the whole of my community has been brought together to talk about this decision and are considering the options carefully and then, are making a decision instead of battling non-stop. They soon both get to a point where they are actually thinking about both sides of the argument and they think carefully instead of rambling over this major issue. The people who are listening to it think carefully in their heads and stop arguing and just by the radio conversation between two people, it has calmed everyone and has made us all joyful.

    This is a good example since politicians arguing about Brexit and being angry at each other will not solve this massive decision however if we are getting into conversations and considering about all of the options without arguing, it could bring us a step closer to making a compromise, which will both satisfy the UK and the EU. If we spread this further, it could also give a lesson to the arguing politicians, who battle relentlessly for a long time.

    I believe that every community worldwide should do this; it stops people fighting and brings them to peace but at the same time, educates them to make a right decision and think carefully about all of the options available. It brings people closer to making decisions and causes less frustration for the people overall. I also believe that it makes people curious, sceptical and ecstatic. I observe this, because with the news reports and radio discussions, the people who are talking both want to learn more about the issue to make a decision, think about what they are voting for and considering other possible options and are ecstatic because they have had a chance to share their opinion if they have not been the right age to vote in the decision before.

  • Homeless Man Gets Housing and Work Thanks to Teen Girl Who Saw His Plea for a Job at a Bus Stop.

  • The best day we will all remember was October 24, 1945, San Francisco, California, United States of America, it was the day and place when the world formed the United Nations to stop another world war from happening.

  • After the shooting in the Mosque in New Zealand, biker gangs have stood guard around various mosques in NZ during first prayer since.

  • In school we make kilo solidario and all the food we get is going to poor people or people that need them.
    Every class get something to bring like fish, eggs, cereals, juices...
    The family that most brings has a day in street clothes and it was very inspiring and beautiful see everybody helping together like a family.

  • a good thing that happens in my school that me and my friends were in charge of the ¨kilo solidario¨ . This insists in helping people who need food.Students bring in all type of food .e.x.
    cereals
    cans
    sugar
    rice

  • The Europen Union is banning single-use plastics

    This is good as it will help the envirorment. The Plastic Patch is getting bigger and we should do something about it; this is a good step.

  • At our school we have something called the kilo solidario (solidary kilo) which consists in all teh students bringing some food for charity. This year, me and my friends decided to help with it by encouraging more people to bring food and counting the food. I feel like it made me and my friends closer to eachother and we will continue to help with it together. The people who took part in this were poetic_market and extroardinary_horse .

  • A kenyan teacher gives 80% of his salary to help students and he wins a million dollars

  • The British Council School of Madrid choir will perform in June in the hospital Niño Jesus, for ill kids who are in the hospital without any type of fun entertaining . This will bring people together because it will make the childrens' day happier.

  • One good thing that is happening in the news is that the E.U. is banning single use plastics around the whole of the European union.

    This is a good step in the right direction as we are destroying our world, and animals are suffering in consequence. My generation is probably going to suffer, but what is certain is that our kids are going to suffer. And waht have they possibly done?

    We are born into a plastic filled world, just look around. Plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic straws, literally plastic everything. Kids do´nt know what is happening, they just get used to relying on plastic.

    Dont get me wrong, plastic is amazing and i am keeping open minded about the use of it. But we need to stop using so much of it.

    WE NEED TO SAVE THE PLANET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

  • My exiting, good, positive news is...
    They announced that in 2021 there will not be single use plastic in the E.U.!!!!!!!! like unnecessary plastic straws...
    its good because we don´t necessarly need single use plastic because people in the past have lived without it and we can live without it replacing it by paper or glass. We will stil have plastic we use more than once wich is GREAT!!!!!1

  • I have just seen a very good thing about plastic:
    - They have announced that plastic objects and thing will end in 2021 and will help us to save the planet and safe the aquatic life right now!!!

    1. That sound like a happy ending to single-use plastic ! :)

  • Everyone in my class got greater Depth in their math tests which is a really good thing as we are preparing for our Sats. We have all improved our previous scores and as the Sats is just in a terms time, and we have been practising a lot and doing a lot of tests to get good scores, it shows that hard work pays off and preparing and trying your best. We are all going to try and achieve Greater Depth again next time. Also, even though we are in groups to which levels we want o achieve (exceeds expectation, working towards....) it’s amazing how some of the people that were dying to get working towards or exceeds expectations achieved greater depth.

  • My school has decided to have a meat-free Wednesday, meaning that on Wednesday they only sell meat-free products in the canteen. I see this as very positive news because, as well as helping to keep animals alive, it also saves energy and stops pollution because it takes a lot of energy, water which could instead be given to thristy people in countries with droughts, and pollutes the atmosphere to process meat, as this is often done in fatories. Overall, I think that this would be very good for the climate, which is currently heating up at an alarming rate, which is having negative effects on people all over the world. This news has been greeted with much delight in my school, beause lots of people care a lot for the climate, and it feels very good to be making a positive difference, even if what we are doing is very small.

  • My positive story : Underwater cleaner launched in the Pacific Ocean .

    The Mayor of London launched an under water cleaner in the Pacific Ocean . I forgot the name bit it did end with "001."
    This help to bring people together because they would feel how it's not good to do "marine pollution."It also encourages them to care more about the environment and listen to the rubbish notice and to know what
    the consequences are .
    I think it's a very good idea because it helps our earth to stay clean and the sea-animals won't have any illnesses and they will have a big chance of survival and the news says if they put more in there it would clean a part of it in just five years.


    I think it would take about 60 cleaners to clean the whole Pacific Ocean . How much do you think it would take to clean the whole ocean ?