26 July 2017
Waveney MP Peter Aldous met young artists from his constituency and around the UK who won a prestigious contest run by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to promote elephant protection.
 
Peter met winners of IFAW’s art competition at Parliament to congratulate them and view their winning pictures of elephants which were included in a special display at Westminster aimed at raising awareness of the threats to elephants and to support efforts to end illegal poaching for the ivory trade.
 
Peter said: “I was delighted to support IFAW’s art competition and meet these talented schoolchildren who have used their artistic skills to publicise this important issue. With elephant populations being decimated so their tusks can be used to make ivory trinkets, it is heartening to see these young artists creating beautiful pictures of elephants to remind us all that elephants need our urgent protection.”
 
A total of 10 young winners were chosen from art entries which came from pupils across the UK aged five to 16. All were invited to travel to London to see their artwork on display at Parliament, as well as meeting MPs and IFAW and enjoying a tour of Westminster from John Mann MP, who hosted the art display. Neil Parish MP, Chair of the influential Environment Select Committee, also attended to meet the winners and add his voice to calls for an end to the ivory trade.
 
Philip Mansbridge, UK Director of IFAW, said: “We are very grateful to Peter for supporting IFAW’s art contest and our fantastic winners. We were delighted to see the high quality of entries from these young artists who are helping spread our message that elephants need urgent protection. Time really is running out for elephants and if we do not act now it will be too late. There is sometimes a disconnect with members of the public realising the full effects of the ivory trade, but it is important to remember that every piece of ivory comes from a dead elephant.”
 
IFAW is running an ivory surrender for members of the public to give up their unwanted ivory so it can be put beyond use, and believes it is vital now more than ever that a domestic ivory trade ban is introduced in the UK.
 
(Photo: Peter Stevens Photography 2017)