Fans focus on talent for photo competition

Photo fans kept focus on the number 30 when more than 230 people attended this year’s Mid Sussex Mencap photo competition at the Martets Hall, Burgess Hill.
Overall winner Wayne LevettOverall winner Wayne Levett
Overall winner Wayne Levett

There was an extra category this year to celebrate 30 years of the competition. Entrants were asked to send in a picture of anything to do with the number 30. Organsiers say there were interesting and clever photographs among the entries.

The category was judged by Peter Evans, chairman of Mid Sussex Mencap, who also presented a salver to the winner, Ian Smalling from Outreach 3Way in Crawley. Ian’s picture was of a 30 built out of Lego pieces.

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On display were 1,072 photographs, a record number, taken by 214 entrants from 26 schools and centres, and six private entries. A further 19 videos were entered involving 54 people from eight centres. All entrants had learning difficulties and were from East and West Sussex.

Ian Smalling's winning 30Ian Smalling's winning 30
Ian Smalling's winning 30

The photographs were judged by Tony Higham from Mid Sussex Camera Club. He presented 26 awards to winners from three categories – general, portrait, and this year’s theme ‘Places of Worship’. The winner of the portrait category and the overall winner was Wayne Levett from Southview in Crowborough for his wonderful close-up picture of a woodpecker on a feeder.

The video films were judged by six members of the Mid Sussex Camcorder Society, and prizes were presented by two of them - Graham Quantrill and Ron Keen. The films varied from thrillers, to animations, music and dance and visits to galleries and parks. The winner was an animated film called ‘Road Safety’, made by 27 members of Image Burners from Burnside Day Centre in Burgess Hill.

There was a special award this year presented to Piers Lott from ‘Hive of Activity’ in Eastbourne to celebrate 30 years of entering every single tier of the competition.

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Piers was ill and could not attend but the award was presented to his support worker, David Turley, by William Wheeler, president of Mid Sussex Mencap. The whole event was sponsored by Mid Sussex Mencap.

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