Bauer Media Outdoor and Essex County Council joined forces to invite children and young people to create new designs for some of the new bus shelters being installed in Essex and the winners have been announced.

Launched last May, the competition invited children and young people aged up to 25 to submit original artwork inspired by themes such as community helpers, neighbourhood scenes, cultural diversity, and local events.

The TravelEssex Community Art Competition was run by BMO and Essex County Council as part of their 10-year partnership to manage the bus shelter estate across Essex.

Hundreds of entries were received from schools, colleges, and individuals across Essex, showcasing the creativity and pride of local communities. After careful judging by a panel including representatives from Essex County Council, Bauer Media Outdoor, and First Site art gallery, two standout winners were selected:

 - Juno Vicary, Primary Category (up to 11 years of age) – whose artwork depicted a vibrant flower with petals labelled Caring, Helping, Supporting, Engaging, Responsive and Reactive, symbolising the strength of community.

- Jamie T, Secondary/College Category (11-16 years of age) – whose piece celebrated diversity with bold colours and inclusive imagery, a reminder that everyone deserves to be involved, no matter what.

Both works will be featured prominently on bus shelters, ensuring thousands of residents see and enjoy the creativity of Essex’s young artists.

The winners will also receive:

·       £500 of art materials for their school or college.

·       Their artwork reproduced on the reverse panels of digital bus shelters across Essex for one year.

·       Display on selected digital advertising screens countywide.

·       A £100Amazon voucher and a certificate presented at a prize-giving ceremony.

‍Louise Stubbings, Partnerships and Creative Director at Bauer Media Outdoor UK, said:

"We’ve been impressed by the imagination and heart that young people from across Essex have poured into their submissions. These designs don’t just brighten our bus shelters - they reflect the spirit of the communities they come from.

It’s a privilege to help showcase local talent in such a visible way, and we’re proud to work with Essex County Council to bring these vibrant creations to the places people pass every day.”

Cllr Mark Platt, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport, said:

“The competition winners have created unique and vibrant artwork which will standout on our new bus shelters. The artwork is both eye catching and impactful and is an important reminder of what makes community special to us.

Thank you to all the schools and all of those who entered the competition and we hope our winners enjoy seeing their artwork on our bus shelters. This is also another successful collaboration with our partners Bauer Media Outdoors, highlighting our new bus shelters being installed across the county.”