Children to design a flag for city’s future

8:00am Tuesday 9th January 2007

Brighton and Hove is to get its own flag, designed by one of the city's children.

The 2020 Community Partnership, in association with The Argus, is calling on the city's schoolchildren to come up with flags based on their vision for the city's future.

Last year the partnership launched a document called Creating the City of Opportunities, a long-term vision to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of Brighton and Hove.

To support its introduction to the public, the partnership is encouraging children to think about their own vision for the future of the city.

Roger French, chairman of the partnership, said: "Brighton and Hove is an exciting, dynamic city and because of this we are continuously reviewing and updating the community strategy to make sure it fully reflects current circumstances.

"We would like the public to engage with our own vision for the city, to make sure it is a shared and vibrant vision.

"As our children are our future we thought a flag competition would be a fun way of getting them to think about what they want Brighton and Hove to be like in the future."

The winning flag design will be announced in The Argus on May 4 and made into a full-sized flag to be raised at the annual Children's Parade on May 6.

A selection of runners-up designs will be made into bunting which will also form part of the parade.

Creating the City of Opportunities is a plan that brings together the views of residents, businesses, students and visitors as well as organisations such as health authorities, the police and the city council to improve and protect the environment, meet social needs and promote sustainable economic success.

The strategy is divided into eight areas including enterprise and learning, crime and safety, health and well-being, strengthening communities and involving people, housing and affordability, resource efficiency and the environment, sustainable transport, and quality services.

For each of these themes the strategy summarises the issues of concern and what has already been achieved and sets out a number of targets for the future.

Mr French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company, said: "We hope the children might take into account some of the themes within the strategy when they are creating their designs - perhaps looking at transport, their homes, their local shops and the environment in which they live.

"We would really enjoy seeing their thoughts on these subjects reflected in the designs they produce."

The 2020 Community Partnership brings together the Family of Partnerships, including the economic partnership, the learning partnership and the healthy city partnership among others.

Together they play the lead role in helping Brighton and Hove work towards the goals identified in the strategy.

For copies of the strategy please contact Simon Newell, The 2020 Community Partnership, Kings House, Hove, BN3 2LS. Telephone 01273 290000 or email simon.newell@brighton-hove.gov.uk

The competition:

• Children should draw what they think Brighton and Hove will look like in the future. In particular, thinking about the themes of transport, environment, people, business and learning.
• We are looking for 2D designs on A4 paper that are colourful and creative.
• Children across Brighton and Hove aged between four and 11 can enter.
• Finished designs should be posted to 2020 Flag Competition, PO Box 5081, Brighton, BN50 9PZ or scanned in as an eps file and emailed to 2020flagcompetition@ priory-partnership.co.uk
• The closing date for entries is March 9.
• A shortlist of designs will be printed in The Argus in April and the public will vote for their favourite design via The Argus website, www.theargus.co.uk, or by contacting the paper directly. The overall winner will be announced in the paper on May 4.
• The winning design will be made into a full-sized flag that will be launched at the Children's Parade then flown from a main flagpole in the city. There will also be a selection of runners-up whose designs will be made into bunting that will also be launched at the Parade.
• Readers can find details about the competition online at www.theargus.co.uk/competitions/flag/

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