A photography competition has been launched to celebrate the heritage, landscape, and people of Port Sunlight village – one of the most photogenic destinations in the North West.
An invitation has been extended to photographers of various skill levels to share their captured moments from the Wirral village and its surroundings. The village is recognised as one of the most outstanding examples of an industrial worker’s village globally.
William Lever constructed Port Sunlight in 1888 with the purpose of providing hygienic and aesthetically pleasing housing for workers at the ‘Sunlight Soap’ factory. In a recent survey conducted by Which?, over 9,000 individuals voted and named it one of the top towns and villages to visit in the UK.
The Port Sunlight Photographer of the Year contest will have its submissions evaluated by Pete Ellis and Bruce Adams, both internationally recognized press photographers. Those whose entries are selected as winners will have their works featured in a new calendar, and a runner-up award will also be given.
The competition, which has been organised by the Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT), aims to raise funds for the charity’s efforts to preserve the village’s significant monuments. These include one of the largest war memorials in the country and a boating pond that requires maintenance. The pond is also home to a bronze fountain, designed by Sir Charles Wheeler, who also created one of the bronze sculptures in Trafalgar Square.
Entries for the competition will be accepted until 11:30am (GMT) on Monday 15th April. The entry fee for the competition is £15. Each participant can submit up to four photographs taken since (January 2022).
Jean Milton, Director of Heritage at Port Sunlight Village Trust, said:
“Port Sunlight has long attracted photographers thanks to its picturesque architecture and green spaces, and now we want to celebrate that with this new competition. Not only will our Photographer of the Year shine a spotlight on this special village, but the competition will directly support our work to look after Port Sunlight for future generations to enjoy visiting, living and taking photographs here.”
Bruce Adams, competition judge and Board Member of The British Press Photographers’ Association, said:
“Port Sunlight is such unique spot for all visitors and for those privileged to live there. Paul Ellis and myself are really looking forward to judging the entries and seeing what inspiration can be brought from such a special place.”
The village of Wirral will be hosting a new exhibition by The British Press Photographers’ Association. ‘Assignments 2024’, which features the best of press photography from last year, will travel from London and be on display between 8 June – 1 September 2024. This will be the first time the exhibition will be showcased in Wirral.
To enter the competition and see the full rules and terms and conditions, you can visit the website here.
READ MORE: PORT SUNLIGHT RIVER PARK NAMED HEALTH SITE OF THE YEAR
