Pupils' photos were brilliant, say residents

More than 30 children across three age groups entered the contest, which was then judged by residents at nearby Mansfield Care’s Galahill House.

The lucky winners of the primary one to three age group, and primary four to seven age group received ASDA gift vouchers; while the winners of the nursery age group received their very own mini gold trophy.

Activities coordinator at Galahill House, Tracy McGeown, found the residents were extremely committed to finding a winner and were delighted to take part.

Tracy said: “All the residents who took part in the judging were blown away by the diverse entries, and the talent displayed by every pupil.

“It was a difficult competition to judge, with so many high- quality photographs on display, and so our judging panel certainly took a lot of time in picking t heir winners.

“Having a strong relationship with the loca l school is very important to our residents.

"Not only does the interaction with the school fill them all with joy, but it is integral to bridging the gap between the young and the old in our community.”

Galahill House has had a relationship with St Peter’s Primary School for many years, enjoying a host of activities with the pupils, such as Christmas concerts, scavenger hunts and Halloween parties.

Recently the home received positive notes and cards from the pupils sharing inspirational and motivating messages throughout lockdown.

And in the competition, the children didn’t disappoint, managing to capture the beauty of their home town time and again.

However, there had to be winners.

Taking home the gold cup for the nursery group were Sophia May and Alexa Robertson, while Archie Pringle was the proud winner of the primaries one to three section.

And sisters Sophie and Alice Duncan were more than happy to take home Asda vouchers by winning the primaries four to seven group.

Richard Bramhall, deputy head teacher of St Peter’s, also believes the interaction is valuable to the school pupils’ development.

Richard said: “During lockdown we’ve had the children at home learning via iPad.

" This photo competition was one of the ways to encourage the children to get out and abou t, and away from screens.

“We’ve had an excellent relationship with Galahill House over the last three years, and thought it would be a good idea to get the residents involved in judging the photo competition.

“Engaging with the home ensures the children are getting involved with the wider community out with the school itself. It adds an important dimension to their learning.”

Mansfield Care operates 11 care homes across Edinburgh, Borders and the West of Scotland.