Children’s design competition to promote staying healthy in winter 

Children across the Western Isles will have the opportunity to take part in a design competition being launched this week by NHS Western Isles.

The competition is part of the NHS Western Isles’ Winter Communications Plan and encourages children to discuss with their parents, guardians or teachers ways to stay healthy and how to access services during the winter.

The competition involves children designing an NHS Facebook Cover image in keeping with the theme ‘Staying Healthy in the Winter’. This could be a picture of things that keep you healthy, methods of staying fit, or ways to avoid illness or injury during the winter months.

There will be four age group categories – preschool; P1 & P2; P3 & P4; and P5, P6 & P7. Each category will have one winner and two runners up. The winners in the preschool and the P1 & P2 categories will each receive a £40 voucher for Riley’s toyshop, with the runners up each receiving £20 vouchers. The winners in the older categories will each receive a £40 voucher for Events Christmas shop and the runners up will each receive £20 vouchers.

As well as the exciting prizes of vouchers to spend in local shops, the four winning designs in each category will rotate as the NHS Western Isles’ Facebook cover image throughout the winter months.

There are two templates available to download from our website, one is a blank template, and the other is a template with images to be coloured in, for those in the younger age categories. You can use pens, pencils, paint, glitter, or any other creative materials you have at home or school.

Designs must be submitted by 15^th December 2023 and can be done so by photographing or scanning the design and emailing it to wi.coms@nhs.scot or by posting your design to Communications Department, Health Board Offices, 37 South Beach, Stornoway, HS1 2BB. Don’t forget to include your child’s name, age, primary class and contact information when submitting their designs.

NHS Western Isles Head of Communications, Claims and Patient Information, Maggie Jamieson, said: “Every year, NHS Western Isles develops a Winter Plan to ensure that healthcare systems are as prepared as possible to manage additional demands during the winter period. As part of this, we want to encourage conversations at as young an age as possible about the ways to stay healthy during the wintertime, to how to avoid illness and how to access the right care in the right place. If we all use the NHS wisely, we can keep well and get the care we need quickly and safely. Starting these conversations at a young age, and encouraging parents, carers and teachers to get involved, helps ensure that these important messages are well understood.”

Some of the topics children could consider when developing their designs, include:

• Washing your hands is one of the best ways to protect yourself from common winter illnesses such as vomiting bugs, flu and COVID-19. Remember you should wash your hands for around 40 seconds (the time it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice).
• Remember – coughs and sneezes spread diseases. Try to always use a tissue to trap germs when you cough or sneeze and dispose of the tissue straight away in a bin.
• Keep a supply of self-care medications in the cupboard at home so they are available as soon as you need them, this could be to manage headaches, sore throats or the common cold.
• It’s incredibly important to remember to only attend the Emergency Department or call ‘999’ when it is an emergency. This helps to ensure that these busy services aren’t overwhelmed and can help those who are the most unwell.
• Contact NHS 24 on 111 if you need urgent care that isn’t life threatening.
• Contact your GP during the day if you are concerned about your health or have an illness that doesn’t improve.
• Vaccines are the best form of protection against common winter illnesses such as flu and COVID-19. Check if you are eligible by visiting: https://www.nhsinfrom.scot/winter-vaccines/. You can view our vaccine clinic schedule by visiting our website: https://www.wihb.scot.nhs.uk/vaccination-clinics/.
• Keeping fit and active can also help to keep you healthy during the winter months. Regular physical activity is an important part of living well.

NHS Western Isles hopes that children will enjoy taking part in this design competition.

Templates are available to be downloaded by visiting https://www.wihb.scot.nhs.uk/download/childrens-design-competition/.