Calling budding young artists, poets and designers: Use your talent to target the silent killer

11 Jan 2017

▪ Youngsters invited to submit entries Gas Safety Carbon Monoxide Poster Competition

▪ Entries should be accurate, eye catching and informative

▪ Nationwide competition - which offers cash prizes - is now in its tenth year

Potential Picassos and other budding creative types with an eye for safety are being invited to take part in an annual competition to design an eye catching gas safety poster warning of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide.

Open to schoolchildren in key stages 1 and 2 (ages 5 to 11) the competition asks pupils to produce an eye-catching poster, poem or entry in another medium which is both informative and accurate and which warns of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning and how to avoid them.

The completion will be officially launched on Wednesday 11 January 2017 after which entries can be submitted.

Thereafter the competition timetable will be as follows:

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Friday 5 May 2017 - Closing date for entries

W/C Monday 15 May and Monday 22 May 2017 - Local judging

W/C Monday 29 May and Monday 5 June 2017 - National judging

W/C Monday 19 June and Monday 26 June - Prize Giving Event in the palace of Westminster

Known as the silent killer Carbon Monoxide is responsible for deaths, illness and hospitalisations each year.

First launched in 2007 the competition was previously run by charity CO-Gas Safety Gas in partnership with Gas Distribution Networks (GDNs), but this year the GDNs, including National Grid, have taken over the running of the competition.

Entrants stand a chance of winning the following prizes:

National Winner: Winner will receive £300 for themselves and £600 for their school/organisation.(National prize will be in addition to the area prize)

Area Winner: Winners will receive £150 each and £300 for their school or organisations (See terms and conditions).

Phil Burrows, National Grid Gas Distribution Stakeholder Implementation Manager, said:

'Sadly each year lives are lost and many other people have to be admitted to hospital and suffer health problems because of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

'However this could be avoided if awareness of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide was better known and people took some simple precautions such as getting their gas appliances checked each year by a Gas Safe registered engineer and having a Carbon Monoxide alarm.'

He added: 'We hope the competition will be an enjoyable way to improve Carbon Monoxide awareness and I would encourage as many children as possible to enter.

'It's a fantastic opportunity for them to have some fun, exercise their creative talents and have a chance of winning some great prizes while relaying an important safety message.'

For more details on the competition please visit http://bit.ly/COSchoolSafetyComp

Entries can be emailed to: [e-mail]

Competition terms and conditions can be found below and also at:http://www.energynetworks.org/assets/files/news/releases-and-news/Terms_Conditions_GDN_CO_SchoolSafetyCompetition2017.pdf

For more information on Carbon Monoxide Safety go to www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/Safety/Carbon-Monoxide

More information on gas safety and how to get domestic and commercial appliances checked and installed by qualified engineers is also available at www.gassaferegister.co.uk/