Winner of SPAR and Marie Curie trailer design competition announced
Press release published
A 10-year-old girl from Kirkbymoorside in North Yorkshire has won the competition to design a lorry trailer celebrating the charity partnership between SPAR and Marie Curie.
Holly Brocklebank-Watts was selected as the winner from more than 200 entries submitted through SPAR stores in the North of England.
Her dad Nick saw the competition in the SPAR store in Sleights near Whitby during his round as a postman and took an entry template home for Holly to enter.
It was the first competition of its type launched by James Hall & Co. Ltd, SPAR's primary wholesaler and distributor in the North of England, and entrants were encouraged to get creative to celebrate the charity partnership that has been established since 2017.
Holly, who enjoys drawing and photography, demonstrated her artistic flair with a design featuring Marie Curie's iconic yellow daffodils depicted along on the hills of North Yorkshire.
The competition attracted entrants with ages ranging from three to 80, and as well as having her winning design on the side of a SPAR articulated truck, Holly won a BMX scooter and a stationery hamper.
The grand reveal of the trailer took place in Kirkbymoorside's Market Place outside the SPAR store where Holly was joined by parents Nick and Joanne, James Hall & Co Ltd's Company Stores Director Fiona Drummond, Store Manager Roland Puckering, and Cllr Nick Holroyd, from Kirkbymoorside Town Council.
Take a look at our chosen Marie Curie Truck Design Winner!
— SPAR North of England (@SPARNorthEng) February 17, 2023
Holly's design was chosen to feature on one of our SPAR trucks, let us know if you see it out on the roads! #ThereForYou pic.twitter.com/8iVLQDNy7E
Marie Curie is the UK's leading end of life charity, and the trailer Holly has designed will travel to SPAR stores across the North of England six days a week from James Hall & Co. Ltd's SPAR Distribution Centre in Preston. The trailer unveiling comes during Marie Curie's flagship annual fundraiser, the Great Daffodil Appeal, which raises funds to help support people across the UK, either at home or at one of the nine Marie Curie hospices.
Holly said: It's a brilliant feeling to win the competition. My design is inspired by the countryside where I live. I take lots of photos of the area, and in the spring the flowers come out. Marie Curie's logo is a daffodil, so I decided to put those on the hillside by the road.
Nick Watts, Holly's proud dad, added: Holly has been eager to see the real thing and we are all thrilled to see her design on the side of a SPAR lorry. The digital redraw is truly faithful to the original and we are very impressed with it.
When I first saw the competition promoted, I just knew Holly had to enter it, and an hour and half after I brought the template home the design was done. Then when we were contacted about it, we could not believe Holly had been chosen as the winner, least of all Holly, who I had to show the email as proof.
The BMX scooter prize has been a real hit and the icing on the cake, already providing hours of fun for her. As a family we would just like to thank SPAR and James Hall & Co. Ltd for organising the presentation in Kirkbymoorside and for creating a memorable day.
Fiona Drummond said: It was an absolute pleasure to meet Holly and her family in Kirkbymoorside for the grand reveal. We had some incredible entries and Holly's entry was chosen as the winner for her inclusion of Marie Curie yellow through the daffodils and her consideration of both SPAR and Marie Curie branding.
While celebrating a charity in Marie Curie that is close to our hearts, we also felt Holly really portrayed our SPAR North of England patch well where we are lucky to have four National Parks and seven Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty on our doorstep.
Tom Heron, Head of Partnership Management at Marie Curie, said: There were so many SPAR customers of all ages submitted designs to the competition, and we have been amazed by the creativity of the entries and how the charity partnership with Marie Curie is interpreted by people.
The competition really has celebrated the spirit of this partnership and the communities both SPAR and Marie Curie support. The daffodil design is perfect for spring and our annual Great Daffodil Appeal. I would like to congratulate Holly on an outstanding design, and hope that she is able to see it out on the road when it is delivering to SPAR stores.
Cllr Nick Holroyd, representing Kirkbymoorside Town Council, said: I think this has been a wonderful initiative between James Hall & Co. Ltd, SPAR and Marie Curie and I'm very pleased that Holly's design has been chosen as the winner.
The SPAR store in Kirkbymoorside is at the centre of the community, and the grand reveal has created a real buzz in the town. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for the trailer when I'm out and about.
James Hall & Co. Ltd serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.
You can find out more about James Hall & Co. Ltd at www.jameshall.co.uk.
Notes to editor
James Hall & Co. Ltd is a fifth generation, family business that is based in Preston, Lancashire.
One of Lancashire's largest employers, the company operates as SPAR UK's primary wholesaler and distributor for the north of England. It serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company owned SPAR stores six days a week.
As well as distribution and retail, James Hall & Co. Ltd is also a manufacturer, and its family of brands include Clayton Park Bakery, Fazila Foods, Ann Forshaw's, and the Great Northern Sandwich Company.
To find out more about James Hall & Co. Ltd, please visit: www.jameshall.co.uk
About Marie Curie - mariecurie.org.uk
Please note we are 'Marie Curie' (not 'Marie Curie Cancer Care')
Marie Curie is the UK's leading end of life charity. The charity provides essential nursing and hospice care for people with any terminal illness, a free support line and a wealth of information and support on all aspects of dying, death, and bereavement. It is the largest charity funder of palliative and end of life care research in the UK. Marie Curie is committed to sharing its expertise to improve quality of care and ensuring that everyone has a good end of life experience. Marie Curie is calling for recognition and sustainable funding of end-of-life care and bereavement support.
Marie Curie Support Line 0800 090 2309*
Marie Curie trained Support Line Officers can provide practical information on everything from managing day-to-day with a terminal illness, to planning for end of life. Our support line can offer emotional support if someone needs a safe space to talk, or some guidance based on their situation. We have a dedicated bereavement service where callers will be paired with a volunteer, who can offer a listening ear and support over six sessions, as well as Check-in and Chat, a service that offers regular calls at a time that suits you. *Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.
The Great Daffodil Appeal
Now in its 37th year, The Great Daffodil Appeal is Marie Curie's flagship fundraising appeal, taking place annually, every March. By donating and wearing a daffodil, you support Marie Curie's Nurses, doctors and hospice staff as well as its Information and Support Line, which provides a listening ear or practical support with all aspects of death, dying and bereavement.
Last year, Marie Curie provided support to 66,000 people across the UK either at home or at one of the nine hospices, which meant people were able to spend their final days surrounded by their loved ones. It's time to make a difference so Marie Curie can continue to help people get the vital care and support they urgently need.
For more information and to donate visit mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil
National Day of Reflection - mariecurie.org.uk/dayofreflection
For the third year running, Marie Curie, the UK's leading end of life charity, is leading the National Day of Reflection on Thursday 23 March. A unique day to remember loved ones who've died, support people who are grieving and connect with each other. Marie Curie will be leading a minute's silence at noon on 23 March, a nationwide network of Walls of Reflection and a series of grief-themed online events. Taking place on the third anniversary that the UK went into lockdown, the National Day of Reflection raises awareness of the impact of grief on our lives and of the need for better support.