We're delighted to announce the winners of our School Writing Competition! 

About the Competition:

In honour of our 35th anniversary, we launched a writing competition to celebrate young writers and give them the page, with the winning articles featured in our ISSUES books and Issues Online! The competition was open to students aged between 11-18 years old, with two categories 11-14 years old and 15-18 years old.

Teenagers were asked to reflect on the question 'What does self-care mean to me?', and write between 500-1000 words. This was open to the students' own interpretation, to write from their own perspective on what self-care means to them, how they use self-care, if they had any tips, how it is related to their mental and physical wellbeing, and what really mattered to them.

We have been blow away by the entries we received, with so many fantastic writers among you, it made picking a winner very difficult! The team loved reading each and every entry, and learning what self-care truly means for teenagers today.

It is our pleasure to announce the winning young writers!

 

Category 1: 11-14 years old

 

              Amelie Barbara Dawson               

Oxford High School

'To every kid who’s trying'

We picked Amelie's piece because we really felt their passion, and want to convey to their audience how strongly they’d love others to be themselves, make mistakes and live life. It’s a uplifting, positive piece full of drive, determination and call to action.

 

Category 2: 15-18 years old

 

                   Blair Henderson                   

Stewart's Melville College

'Bees, Biscuits, and Barely Holding It Together — My Take on Self-Care'

We picked Blair's piece because it really stuck with us. The honesty and rawness of their writing was captivating, and we really felt on their journey through daily life to where they feel most grounded.

 

Published!

The winning articles have been published and are now available to read in ISSUES Vol. 467 Health for Teens.

Almost 18% of the UK population are adolescents—so good health really matters. Health for Teens empowers you to manage stress, practise self-care, make confident health decisions, and navigate physical and mental wellbeing with ease and knowledge. 

To get hold of your copy, visit our bookshop today!

 

Thank you!

We'd like to say a huge thank you to all the schools, staff and students who took part in this competition. It has been wonderful to have so many brilliant entries, read so many fantastic articles, and know there are so many future writers out there.