Kent’s Big Writing Challenge celebrates the creative writing skills of children across the county.

Earlier this year, children from primary and secondary schools across Kent were encouraged to use their imaginations and write a creative piece about their hero.

On Tuesday, August 30, the best entries were awarded during a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral.

The competition, organised by the KM Charity Team and sponsored by the Reconnect Programme and KCC, saw 11 winners from Key Stage One, 13 winners from Key Stage Two and 11 winners from Key Stage Three and Four win prizes for their writing.

From each category, an overall winner was also selected.

The Key Stage One winner was Mae Harling of Shoreham Village School, Sevenoaks, who chose her cousin Evie as her hero.

The Key Stage Two winner was Lucy Hartridge of Sandling Primary School, Maidstone, whose hero was Olympic skateboarder Sky Brown.

The Key Stage Three and Four winner was Heela Habib of Valley Park School, Maidstone, who wrote about Allah as her hero.

KM Charity Team CEO Mike Ward said: “This was the first time we have delivered Kent’s Big Writing Challenge and we are very grateful for the support of the KCC Reconnect Programme for funding it.

“The hardest part was choosing the winners. The best part was the sheer diversity of who our young people see as heroes. There were lots of mums and dads, key workers – including a Tesco security guard who made one of our winners smile!

“We really hope to deliver this again next year and so are working hard to secure sponsorship as the outcomes have been so important to so many children and young people.”

All category winners received a framed certificate and a printed book that included all the winning entries and their drawings, while the overall winners received a glass engraved trophy.

THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS...

KEY STAGE ONE

Mae Harling from Shoreham Village School, Sevenoaks

Peter Kelly from Hunton School

Elmira Williams from Kingsnorth Primary School

Keira Barnden from the Oaks Community Infant School, Swale

Amiyah McKenzie from Herne Infant School

Molly Bowler from Herne Infant School

Joshua King from Sandling Primary School, Maidstone

Olivia Barton from the Oaks Community Infant School, Swale

Arabella Beattie from Challock Primary School

Arslan Kabilov from Hextable Primary School

Ruby Wilson from Kingsnorth Primary School

KEY STAGE TWO

Thomas Norris from Challock Primary, Ashford

Seth Player from St John's CEP School, Canterbury

Lucy Hartridge from Sandling Primary School, Maidstone

Grace Harris from Woodlands Primary School, Tonbridge

Dylan Rhodes from Ethelbert Road Primary School, Canterbury

Claudia Whitman from St Margaret's at Cliffe Primary School, Dover

Lydia Heslop from St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Hythe

Inara Nijjer from Culverstone Green Primary School, Gravesham

Hazel O'Hara from Hextable Primary School

Poppy Milton from St John's Primary School, Sevenoaks

Charlie Butcher from Chartfield School, Thanet

Edie Hendley from Paddock Wood Primary Academy

Zachary Highfield from St Peter's Catholic Primary School, Swale

KEY STAGE THREE AND FOUR

Bert Davis from Valley Park School, Maidstone

Chloe Asia Russell from Dover College

Heela Habib from Valley Park School, Maidstone

Isaac Differ-Mote from Cross Keys Learning, Thanet

Isabella Hirlemann-Garcia from St Anselm's Catholic School, Canterbury

Jashwiny Selvarajan from Wilmington Academy, Dartford

Lawrence Johnson from St George's Foundation School, Thanet

Ria Nair from Tonbridge Grammar School

Shakira Weeks from the Sittingbourne School

William Featherstone from Valley Park School, Maidstone

Joe Fairclough from Dover College