Seal of approval for competition winner

Ever wondered where the bananas in your packed lunch come from? That was one of the questions asked by staff from the Port of Dover when they paid a special visit to Langdon Primary School.

The visit started with an interactive presentation by Richard Christian, the Port's Corporate Affairs Manager, about the Port and all the different types of vessels that use it, how it looks after the environment and the fun things that staff get up to in the community.

The school had been exploring the topic of 'water' and so the Port was delighted to come and tell the schoolchildren how important water is in so many ways, from enabling boats to float, goods to travel, people to go on holiday and for the community to enjoy activities in the harbour.

Richard Christian, Corporate Affairs Manager, Port of Dover, said: "I was delighted to visit the school and introduce the Port to everyone. The children were fantastic and really engaged with what the Port does. It is so important that, from an early age, children have an association with the Port and an understanding of its role both in the local community and more widely."

A special part of the visit was to present Sophie Baldwin, a pupil at the school, with Sammy the Seal, a cuddly toy won by Sophie following her winning entry in a recent colouring competition held at the Port.

Mr Christian added: "My congratulations to Sophie on winning the colouring competition. She is a thoroughly deserving winner and I am sure Sammy will be very happy in his new home."

All the children were given Port or Dover beakers to ensure that they remembered all the interesting things that they had learnt about the Port and water.

Lynn Paylor Sutton, Head teacher, Langdon Primary School, said: "It was a real pleasure to work with the staff from the Port of Dover. As a local business and employer it is important for our learners to know about their work and of their importance to the region. Visits from people from real organisations helps our pupils to learn about the world of work and inspires them to think about whether they might have ambitions to work in a field that perhaps was not even considered previously. It was wonderful also for Sophie to receive her prize for a super competition entry. We are very proud of her achievement."