A seven year old from Girvan is celebrating after winning a competition to bring added sparkle to South Ayrshire this Christmas.
The design will now take its place among the central attractions in Ayr town centre as part of an annual tie-in with local schools and sponsor, Owen Kerr Signs. Emma Brown, a pupil at Invergarven School, submitted an entry showing a smiling snowman with a carrot nose, and wearing a black and red striped hat with a green feather on top. Judges felt the design perfectly captured the essence of Christmas. The win is all the more notable due to the fact that Emma is non-verbal autistic, but clearly shows a flamboyant artistic spirit. Councillor Brian McGinley, South Ayrshire Council's Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, Tourism & Leisure, said Emma's design would add extra sparkle to the Christmas period, "The competition aims to add a splash of festive colour to the streets of Ayr and this year's winning entry does just that. "The eye-catching design melted the hearts of the judges with the entry combining a smiling snowman with contrasting winter colours that made for the perfect winter scene. "But with a fantastic response from across South Ayrshire everyone involved should be proud of their work, and I'd like to thank every school for their continued support for this worthwhile competition." Patsy Devlin from Owen Kerr Signs said, "We're proud to continue to sponsor the Christmas Banner Competition which remains one of the highlights of the year. "Children across South Ayrshire have not disappointed with their amazing creativity, and we'd like to thank everyone involved for providing us with another memorable year. "The banners have now been installed, something that we're sure will bring extra cheer to shoppers coming to Ayr in the run up to Christmas." There is a full programme of events taking place across South Ayrshire during Christmas and the New Year. To find out more go to www.southayrshirechristmas.com