Two school children had a pleasant surprise recently when Sir Christopher Benson, Crossrail's chairman, paid them a personal visit to celebrate their achievements in a Crossrail curriculum project.
The 10-year olds - Afsara Tasnim of Old Palace School, Bromley by Bow, Tower Hamlets - and Joe Turner from Peter Hills School, Rotherhithe – were both highly commended in Crossrail's Design a Poster competition.
When Sir Christopher found out that the pupils had not been able to attend Crossrail's official awards ceremony for the competition, held earlier in March, he decided to pay them a personal visit at school to ensure that their achievements would be officially recognised.
Together with Crossrail's education advisor, Stephen Brice, he presented Afsara and Joe each with a certificate and Crossrail goodie bag during their morning assemblies.
Sir Christopher Benson said: 'I felt that it was important that the pupils gained public recognition of their achievements as I know from personal experience that this inspires people to keep up the good work in the future. Across the board, I was very impressed with the high standard of entries – the children really took hold of the project and ran with it.'
Stephen Brice then visited Hasfa Begum and Abdul Aziz both of George Greens School, Isle of Dogs to present their awards. Both pupils were also highly commended in the competition.
Pupils at schools across London took part in the Young Crossrail Design a Poster competition, the aim of which was to tell other people about Crossrail in a fun and eye-catching way. This is one of a number of curriculum projects being run as part of the Young Crossrail initiative.
Crossrail is proposed to run from west to east London through a tunnel under central London. It would run from Heathrow airport and Kingston in the west through Paddington and Liverpool Street to Ebbsfleet via Canary Wharf, and Shenfield via Stratford.
The Young Crossrail Design project will not end here. Later in the year, pupils from schools along the Crossrail route will be set a new brief to consider other design elements of Crossrail including ideas on designing Crossrail station reception areas and platforms.
Overall winners of the Crossrail Design a Poster project, who each received a CD Player, are: Luke Folkend of Bexleyheath, and Joe Cray of Hornchurch.
Highly recommended: Rahana Rahman (Poplar), Joe Turner (Rotherhithe), Uyiosa Isoken (Forest Gate), Khadjat Tobi-Bello (West Ham), Afsara Tasnim (Bow), Arfatul Amin (Poplar), Hafsa Begum (Isle of Dogs), Abdul Aziz (Isle of Dogs), Tamana Ibrahini (Cranford, Middsex).
ends
issued 2 April 2004
For further information contact Ian Rathbone, media manager, 020 7150 8760, fax 020 7941 7748, mob: 07739 226 285 or e-mail ianrathbone@crossrail.co.uk
