Never Such Innocence, which runs an annual international poetry, art, speech and song competition for youngsters aged nine to 18, focusing on conflict and its impact, has announced its 2020-21 winners.

Army child Tyler Larkin from England won first place in the age 9-11 poetry category with his heart-felt poem A Military Child. He was one of three winners who took part in creative workshops as part of the Covenant-funded Voices of Armed Forces Children project.

This year, more than 3,100 children and young people from 99 countries, territories and dependencies entered the competition on the theme of ‘The Unheard Voices of Conflict: Stories from Around the World’. They spoke about a wide variety of topics and showed deep empathy and understanding of how conflict affects others.

Lady Lucy French OBE, founder and CEO of Never Such Innocence, said: “We were delighted by the breadth and range of reflections that we saw. I’m incredibly proud of every single piece of work we’ve received.”

Teachers and parents also shared stories about what a positive impact entering the competition has had on their pupils and children. One parent said: “This has made my son, and teenagers like him, more aware of the conflicts taking place in our human society. This is something that no other organisation or activity can provide, and it will bring a very positive effect on his growth.”

Click here to see all the winning entries.

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