Bridge pupils sail home with winning Titanic model

The school finished a regional winner in the contest which attracted almost 500 entries from 100 pupils across Northern Ireland schools.

Using everyday household items, the Banbridge Year Six pupils created a stunning replica of the Titanic in the shipyard, made entirely from cardboard and polystyrene.

Five other finalist schools joined Bridge Integrated at an awards ceremony at Belfast Harbour Office, with entries including a sea of shipyard workers, Harland and Wolff cranes and lifeboat recreations.

The prize for local pupils in the contest organised by Belfast Harbour and the Titanic Foundation is a class trip to Titanic Belfast, the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience, which opens on March 31.

Roy Adair, CEO of Belfast Harbour, said, “Congratulations to every pupil, teacher and school who participated in this creative competition.

“We have been overwhelmed by the imagination and effort that each school has put into its Titanic-themed models. The variety of the final entries is impressive, with models including Titanic Belfast, the Arrol Gantry and first-class cabins amongst the recreations.

“We are delighted to support this inaugural schools competition as it allows pupils to not only learn about the environment and eco issues such as recycling and reusing material, but also to explore Northern Ireland’s industrial and maritime heritage in an exciting and creative way.”

Jonathan Hegan, chairman of Titanic Foundation, the independent charitable Trust which owns Titanic Belfast, said, “The originality of entries demonstrates just how much the Titanic story can be used to fire-up children’s imaginations.

“Titanic was the greatest engineering achievement of its era and together with the story of the people who built her and sailed on her, it’s an opportunity to challenge a new generation to be inspired by their heritage.”

The other five finalist schools from across Northern Ireland are: The Diamond Primary School, Cullybackey; St. Colmcille’s Primary School, Ballymena; St Columba’s Primary, Draperstown; St. Joseph’s Primary, Strabane; and Moat Primary, Lisnaskea.

Each finalist pupil also received a ticket to Titanic Belfast. The overall NI winner, Moat PS, took away a VIP educational trip to the visitor attraction.

Finalist entries can be viewed online at www.webstersays.com.