Tourism in Wales is getting a boost this summer courtesy of a Welsh wholesaler and a nine-year-old Cardiff schoolboy.
A brand new delivery lorry which will travel the length and breadth of Wales, the Border Counties and the South West of England is now showcasing Wales as the ultimate holiday destination.
Welsh wholesaler Castell Howell Foods has launched the latest addition to its delivery fleet, a 16-tonne truck with a difference.
Following the success of previous school competitions to design the livery for its lorries, Castell Howell decided to work with primary schools within its delivery network once again and invited pupils to get creative.
“We wanted to ask children to draw pictures of what they most like to do during their summer holidays in this beautiful country,” said Martin Jones, transport director. “This could be visiting iconic Welsh destinations including the coast or other urban and rural areas, with the aim that their creations could be used to promote holidays and tourism here in Wales.”
The nominated food supplier of Cardiff city council, Castell Howell has strong ties with local authorities and the schools it supplies week in, week out.
Once the appeal went out, the Castell Howell team was inundated with entries. “We received thousands of incredible creations which left us with the most difficult decision,” admitted Martin.
After careful consideration, the team whittled down the entries to a shortlist of 150, before eventually deciding on their winner – Seth King, aged 9, from Ysgol Y Vern in Cardiff. His eye-catching creation features bridges, trains, cycling, snorkelling, kayaking, a castle and even a giraffe.
The Castell Howell team decided to surprise Seth at school not only to present him with his prize – an iPad – but also a visit from the lorry with its brand new livery.
In addition to Seth’s prize, his school was also presented with £2,500 from Castell Howell to invest in anything they choose that will improve facilities for their pupils.
“This is such a wonderful way to give back to the local community and also to the schools that we are committed to supplying with the best quality produce,” said Matt Lewis, Castell Howell managing director.
“We were blown away by the response to the competition and having carefully picked our winner from the thousands of entries, we’re delighted that Seth’s incredible design is out on the road and will promote Wales as the perfect holiday destination.”
The Design a Lorry competition is just one of Castell Howell’s many initiatives to engage with and support the local community. Previous competitions have resulted in Castell Howell Foods donating more than £10,000 to four local primary schools.
