Pupils at three schools have been handed prizes by home and kitchen appliances Russell Hobbs as part of a competition it had been running with its charity partner Action Against Hunger.

The Plates for Change competition was launched last year aims to champion nutrition and creativity and raise awareness about global food poverty and invited pupils to design their own plates.

Almost 1,000 plate designs were submitted, with St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Staffordshire, taking first place. Also handed prizes as runners up are Brocks Hill Primary School in Leicester and Sandwich Junior School in Kent.

Pupils at St Mary’s have won an interactive cooking demonstration with former Great British Bake Off star Crystelle Pereira, who was among judges for the competition.

“I’m delighted to be part of this campaign with Russell Hobbs and Action Against Hunger,” said Pereira.

“Food has always been such a big part of my life – growing up in a family where cooking and sharing meals was everything.

“However, I recognise that many people worldwide go hungry due to a lack of access to safe, nutritious food. Giving children the chance to learn about good nutrition, and the challenges related to global food poverty and where food comes from, is so important.”

All three schools also receive a bundle of Russell Hobbs products worth up to £500, a copy of their winning design on an exclusive plate. Also the pupil behind the winning design at each school will receive a Russell Hobbs appliance, a recipe book and a £100 supermarket voucher.

“We are incredibly proud of our students for this fantastic achievement,” said St Mary’s headteacher Debra Statham.

“This competition gave them a powerful opportunity to learn about hunger, empathy and the power of nutrition and to express those ideas creatively.

“Seeing these learnings translated into such thoughtful artwork has been a great opportunity for our whole school community.”

Other judges for this schools competition included MasterChef’s Monica Galetti and Action Against Hunger’s director of nutrition and health Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera.

Russell Hobbs is involved in a three-year partnership with Action Against Hunger and pledges to donate a minimum of £270,000 to support its work.

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