Tamara Howler, 7, stands alongside Mayor John Biggs with her winning design. Pic: Tower Hamlets Council

Three Tower Hamlets primary school children have had their designs featured on the local authority annual Christmas cards.

The winners of the council’s annual Christmas card competition for local children are Zofia Szotek, 10, from Arnhem Warf Primary School, Tamara Howler, 7, from Kobi Nazrul Primary School, and Nusaybah Ali, 8, from William Davis Primary School.

Zofia Stozek, 10, stands alongside Mayor Biggs with her winning design. Pic: Tower Hamlets Council

There were more than 160 designs submitted to the competition. Mayor  John Biggs, along with Will Tuckley, the council’s Chief Executive, and Debbie Jones, Director of Children’s services, worked together to choose the three winning designs.

Mayor Biggs said: “I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the children who sent us such wonderful cards. When we looked at all the designs, it was clear a lot of creativity, hard work, and festive spirit had gone into them.”

Mayor Biggs launched the competition last year for children aged five to eleven who live or go to school in the borough. Designs had to be original, creative and colourful to win the prize.

He said: “We were impressed, but not surprised, to see such talent from local children as young as four. Many of the cards included some very touching well-wishes for the residents of Tower Hamlets – a sentiment we would like to echo this Christmas.”

Szotek, Howler, and Ali, along with their parents and family members, were all invited to Tower Hamlets Town Hall to meet Mayor Biggs, Jones, and Tuckley. They were given book token prizes and saw the council chambers and the chains and maces of the speaker.

Last year’s winners were selected of around 300 entries. One, a colourful penguin design made by Punam Kundu, from Harry Gosling Primary School stood out and was the subject of last year’s council Christmas card.