Falklands40 competition launched

Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley is encouraging 16- to 18-year-olds to enter the Falklands 40 Schools Competition.

Organised by the Falkland Islands Government as part of their programme commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War, eight students from across the UK are being given the chance to visit and learn more about the islands.

The winners will become official Falklands40 Student Ambassadors and will accompany a group of academics from the University of Exeter, the University of Newcastle and the Royal Holloway University on a fully-funded Falkland Islands experience in February 2023.

To enter, students are being asked to answer the question: “What does the Falkland Islands mean to you?” The judges are looking for a creative answer which outlines students’ stories, research and insights into the history, culture, heritage, people and wildlife of the islands.

Entries can be submitted as essays, written stories, posters, videos, films or podcasts and the deadline for submissions is 31st July 2022.

Commenting, Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley said:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for young people in Lanark and Hamilton East to visit a unique place, somewhere they may otherwise never get the chance to go.

“40 years ago, people from Lanarkshire travelled some 8,000 miles to fight in the Falklands War so our histories are inextricably linked and this competition is a fitting way to commemorate the anniversary.

“It would be an incredible achievement if someone from Lanark and Hamilton East was selected as one of the eight winners.

“I would encourage every young person to enter the Falklands 40 Schools Competition and I am eager to hear of all their creative submissions.”

For further details and to enter, visit https://www.falklands40comp.co.uk/