Hillsborough International Oyster Festival Selects Jill Todd Trust As 2012 Charity & Annouces Flower-Bed Competition Winner.

The Hillsborough International Oyster Festival, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has selected local charity, The Jill Todd Trust, as its beneficiary for 2012. The Festival takes place from 6 – 9^th September and amongst many great events, this year’s line-up includes a Fashion Show, the World Oyster Eating Championship a fabulous live Concert in the Festival marquee and the amazing Supercar Dream Sunday event. A percentage of funds accumulated from the four-day Festival will be donated to local charity The Jill Todd Trust.  Jill Todd was a born and bred Hillsborough girl attending Hillsborough Primary School and later Wallace High School.  Film and photography became her chosen career path leading to the study of those subjects at Edinburgh Napier University, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree in 2009. A successful career in photography was cut short when Jill’s life was taken by cancer in October 2010, aged 23.  In January 2011, Jill’s family established The Jill Todd Trust, a charity to promote photography, the careers of young photographers and to raise funds for the care of those who suffer from and research into the quest to a cure for cancer.

The Hillsborough Flower Bed Competition in conjunction with the Jill Todd Trust and the Hillsborough International Oyster Festival was launched to primary school pupils in Downshire and Beechlawn schools.

The competition was to design a flowerbed for the A1 Roundabout that marks the entrance to Hillsborough.

From over 80 entries Christopher O’Brien from Beechlawn school was named winner by the judges with Naomi Davidson in 2^nd place and Jack Mawhinney in 3^rd place, both from Downshire School.  Harrison Hughes and Dylan Watson from Beechlawn and Megan Ingram from Downshire received commendations.

Jane Wheavil, art teacher and chair of judging panel, Jill’s parent’s Barrie and Trish Todd and Jill’s friend and graphic designer Laura McAleer judged the competition.

Hillsborough International Oyster Festival 2012 Chairman Sean Hall said, “The Festival committee is delighted to have appointed The Jill Todd Trust as charity for this year’s Festival.  The entries for the first year of the flower-bed competition have been impressive and we are thrilled to have the local school children involved”.

Lisburn’s newly appointed Mayor Alderman William Leathem was in attendance at the ceremony to present the winner with a cheque for £30 and to congratulate the runners up. LCC is once again proud to be sponsor of the Hillsborough Oyster Festival that attracts over 15,000 visitors to the Hillsborough Village each September and associated economic benefits.