Lucky photographer Simon Kitchin was a special guest at a private garden party at St James‟ Palace, London, last week, hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales, after winning a national photography competition.
Simon was the talented Wales regional winner of The National Countryside Photography Competition in association with The Prince‟s Countryside Fund and The National Countryside Week. Run with Archant Life, the competition was a nationwide search for the best amateur photograph to capture the beauty of the Great British countryside. Ten regional winners from around the UK were selected by renowned landscape photographer Charlie Waite and trustees of The Prince‟s Countryside Fund and all receive a new Olympus SZ-30MR Digital Camera and accessories worth over £300.
Simon joined the other nine regional winners at the garden party to celebrate forthcoming National Countryside Week. At the Palace, the regional winners had their photographs displayed and then judged by leading photographers and Trustees of the Prince‟s Countryside Fund. An overall winner of „The Great British Countryside Photograph 2011‟ was announced on the day by HRH and will receive a day‟s photography tuition with Charlie Waite.
“I‟m delighted to have been chosen as the Wales regional winner of The Prince‟s Countryside Fund Photo competition,” said Simon “I tried to capture what is special about our great British countryside. It was a real honour to get to the garden party and meet HRH.”
The competition was open to everyone and all areas of photography. The only specification was that the photograph capture the Great British Countryside.The ten regional winners came from all across the UK: North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, South East, East Anglia, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland.
Launched in July last year by HRH The Prince of Wales, The Prince‟s Countryside Fund (www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk), is a unique collaboration of brands and businesses committed to caring for the people who take care of the countryside. To date, the companies involved have contributed over £1million and already nearly £500,000 has been given in grants to 13 projects throughout the countryside from Devon to Scotland. These include an apprenticeship scheme to train young people to become hill farmers in Cumbria and the
Yorkshire Dales, a community run minibus in rural Shropshire, a Barnado‟s project in Scotland and the development of 50 new school farms.
The inaugural National Countryside Week runs from 11th – 18th July 2011 celebrating the British countryside and the people who take care of it. During the week, the next round of grants will be announced at The Great Yorkshire Show, where £250,000 will be given to more projects across the country.
Simon with his winning entry
