Charity comp

The Scottish SPCA – who have base in Hamilton – have launched their first ever primary and secondary school film competition for schools.

Scotland’s animal welfare charity visits schools every year to deliver their free Prevention through Education programme, encouraging pupils to become responsible towards animals.

The programme links in with many areas of the Curriculum for Excellence and aims to encourage empathy and compassion towards animals.

Primary and secondary schools have been invited to submit a short film that educates the public, and in particular their peers, on key animal welfare issues that the Scottish SPCA regularly have to tackle.

The competition gives schools the opportunity to engage their students in a creative and crosscurricular activity with the opportunity to win prizes for both themselves and the school.

The judging panel will be looking for innovative and creative methods of conveying a key message to the public, in particular to other school students.

Scottish SPCA’S head of education and policy, Gilly Mendes Ferreira, said: “Since 2010, we have seen over 300 per cent increase in the number of calls where children have alerted us to animals in need of our help, which saved injured wildlife and uncovered cases of neglect.

“We are thrilled to be launching this competition for both primary and secondary schools and hope that this continues to encourage children and young adults to be #Alwaysanimalaware.

The topics, consent forms and terms and conditions, regarding the competition for schools, can be found on the Scottish SPCA website at scottishspca.org/ education.