2023 Learning Competition

Poppyscotland are delighted to announce the winners of their 2023 learning competition, titled The Path of the Poppy. Open to Scottish pupils from primary 5 through to 3rd year high school pupils, this competition invited learners to design a poster or leaflet that explained the history of the poppy in Scotland, from its beginnings to today’s plastic-free version.

The competition was judged by panel members from a range of representatives from Armed Forces charities, such as Poppyscotland, Legion Scotland, and Fares for Free. With over 140 entries into the competition from schools across Scotland, the judges were hard pressed to narrow down the selection and eventually voted to determine the final three winners.

Katla Longworth, a primary 7 pupil from Trinity Primary School, was the winner of the Primary Poster category. Her eye-catching title and detailed hand-drawn illustrations caught the attention of the judges.

Connor McKay, Katla’s class teacher said:

“All the children in Primary 7 were fascinated by the history of the poppy and loved having the opportunity to be creative by producing a visual representation of its path through time.

“Katla was very proud of her finished poster; blending an eye-catching design with informative facts about the poppy’s development over the years and is thrilled to have won this competition.”

The Primary Leaflet category was won by Zlata Parya, a primary 7 pupil from Stonehouse Primary. Her leaflet took a different approach, with seven informative facts about the poppy in Scotland that provide a context to the poppy’s rich history.

Kerry Crichton, Deputy Head of Learning at Poppyscotland, visited the school to present Zlata with her prize at a school assembly. She said:

“Presenting this award to Zlata was a moving moment for me, and I was buoyed by the fantastic support displayed by the entire assembly, and the fantastic support that was shown by the staff, too.”

The third winner, Gabriel Detlaff, an S1 pupil at Blairgowrie High School received recognition for his fantastic poster design by winning the Secondary School Poster category. Judges were drawn to Gabriel’s use of a foreground and background which creatively incorporated images and facts into a clear and informative poster.

Gordon Michie, Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising and Learning visited Gabriel’s school to present him with his award. He said:

“Our annual learning competition is an exciting opportunity for us to engage young people with our charity.

“This year’s competition provided a chance to learn more about the poppy as a symbol of remembrance in Scotland.

“Blairgowrie High School have been active participants in several of our competitions through the years and I was delighted to be able to visit their school to present Gabriel with the final design of his fantastic poster.”

The winning leaflet and posters have been printed into materials which are now available to the hundreds of annual visitors of Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory. As well as having their designs turned into real products, each winner received a £200 voucher for their school to spend and will receive a visit from Bud, Poppyscotland’s mobile museum.