Lee’s photo wins a wonderful competition
Paisley primary school pupils have been showing what it means to them to be a Buddie.
Youngsters from West and St Mary’s primary schools came together to work on the Buddies project, which was organised by national charity Nil by Mouth.
The programme saw the youngsters hitting the streets for a special photography competition, taking pictures of Paisley to capture what the town means to them.
Their efforts were recognised at an event at St Mirren’s Paisley 2021 Stadium on Monday, and the winning picture, taken by West pupil Lee McCrimmon, 11, was unveiled.
The Buddies programme aimed to get the kids exploring the history of the town and its different cultural traditions in support of the Paisley 2021 UK City of Culture bid.
Competition judge Alan McCreadie said the competition was tough, and he congratulated the kids on their work.
He said: “There were so many good entries and fascinating insights into Paisley and what living here means to the pupils.
“The picture that I kept coming back to time and again was the night shot over Paisley by Lee McCrimmon.
“It’s a really nice shot, so well done to Lee.”
Buddies began in April thanks to funding support from the Renfrewshire Council’s culture, heritage and events fund.
In May, photographer Alan visited the schools to deliver special photographic workshops, teaching pupils a few tricks of the trade.
The team at Nil by Mouth then set the photo challenge of capturing an image celebrating the town and its people.
More than 40 entries were judged, with Lee’s Paisley at Night shot emerging as the winner, earning the West pupil a state-ofthe art digital camera donated by the Paisley-based Ruby Trust as a prize.
Nil by Mouth campaign director Dave Scott said the project had been a success from start to finish.
He added: “Our work at Nil by Mouth is all about bringing people together and, through Buddies, we have seen the kids explore the town, spaces and experiences that they share.
“It’s also clear they have a great deal of pride in their town and the enthusiasm they have for the 2021 bid is infectious. They want to let the world know that Paisley is a special place.”