Chris Wills, of Devon Communities Together, writes for this title.

Midweek Herald: Chris Wills. Picture: ContributedChris Wills. Picture: Contributed (Image: Archant)

In 2019 I was delighted to be asked to join the board of Love Devon, the fundraising and trading arm of independent charity Devon Communities Together. The charity is involved in varied and important work. As a local Solicitor and being passionate about our fabulous county and community, I jumped at the opportunity to help support it, and will share some of the current news and projects in these pages.

As previously reported, Devon Communities Together is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and, as part of its celebrations, is asking children in Devon to show in a colourful picture why they love living in this amazing part of the country.

The winning picture will feature on the cover of the charity’s 2021 LOVE Devon magazine, which will be published in June and, thanks to the generosity of local businesses, the winners and runners up will also be in with a chance of winning some fabulous prizes from Pennywell Farm, Go Ape, Tarka Pottery, Coastal Craft Collective, Bicton Park Botanical Gardens and Orange Elephant Ice Cream Parlour!

The entries should be bright, colourful and eye catching, but above all, be a celebration of living in Devon! Is it building sandcastles or rockpooling at the beach? Maybe it's scrambling over rocks on Dartmoor? Perhaps it's playing in their own back garden? It could be a local park or even a special street or landmark... It may be a spot that is special to them but have not been able to visit for a while as a result of lockdown, but DCT wants to see what children love about living in Devon and view their favourite spots through their eyes.

The competition is open to any school aged children (aged 4-16), with a category for primary (4-11) and secondary (12-16), with one overall winner. The winning entry will be featured on the cover of the magazine and also on the charity’s website www.devoncommunities.org.uk.

The closing date is 1st April 2021 and full entry details may be found online here: https://www.devoncommunities.org.uk/childrens-artwork-competition-why-do-you-love-devon