By Julie McLaughlin
A local primary school pupil was one of the winners of a children’s art competition. Seven-year-old Ellie Doyle, a pupil at Grange Primary School, near Kilkeel, had her drawing selected as one of the pages of a calendar helping to raise awareness of staying safe on farms.
Ellie’s drawing was chosen out of thousands of entries of artwork by primary school pupils at rural primary schools and special schools across Northern Ireland. It will feature in the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland’s ‘Avoid Harm on the Farm’ calendar as the picture for May.
Although 12 winners were chosen, one for each month of the year, Ellie was the only winner selected from County Down. Ellie’s school has congratulated her on her success.
“Ellie, a Primary 4 pupil at our school, has achieved something truly remarkable,” Grange Primary School principal Diane Hughes said. “We are delighted to celebrate her success in the HSENI Farm Safety Poster Competition, where her artwork will proudly feature in the May 2026 calendar. This accomplishment is even more meaningful as Ellie comes from a local farming family. Congratulations, Ellie – we are so proud of you!”
The Health and Safety Executive said that the competition challenged pupils to visually interpret critical farm safety messages, including the dangers of working at heights, staying safe around slurry, carrying a phone if working alone, and not using the farm as a playground.
HSENI Chief Executive Robert Kidd said it was a difficult job picking the winners as the quality of the entries was outstanding. “It’s inspiring to see so many children grasp the seriousness of safety issues on our farms and then visually express the dangers and risks with these very meaningful pictures. They have been able to transform key safety measures into very simple and impactful visual actions,” he said.
“Sadly, in Northern Ireland farming remains one of the most dangerous occupations with 58 work-related fatalities from 2014 to 2024. So, it is vital that we continue to engage with children from an early age to educate them and their farming families on how to minimise risks and prevent accidents,” he said. “I believe this year’s calendar delivers those serious farm safety messages in a fun, engaging, and straightforward way.”
Each winner received a £50 gift voucher from Yellow Wellies’ Farm Safety Foundation. “We were truly impressed by the creativity and thoughtfulness shown by those who took the time to enter,” Stephanie Berkeley, manager with the Yellow Wellies’ Farm Safety Foundation, said. “Their passion for farm safety shone through every design and these images will take pride of place in kitchens across the land all year, reminding us that together, we can grow safer farmers and safer farms.”
