Flintshire pupil wins national M&S Young Designer contest
Eight-year-old Scarlett from Flintshire has been named one of the winners of Marks & Spencer’s Young Designer competition.
Her design, a limited-edition hoodie featuring the message “You matter”, is now available in selected M&S stores and online.
The Young Designer competition, launched in February in partnership with mental health charity YoungMinds, asked children across the UK to create a design around the theme: “What would you say to a friend who needs you? How would you brighten their day?”
More than 8,000 entries were received, with Scarlett’s design chosen as one of four winners after two rounds of judging.
Final-round judges included M&S Kidswear Director Alex Dimitriu, YoungMinds Interim CEO Abigail Ampofo, BBC Race Across the World winner Alfie Watts and M&S ambassador Oli McVeigh, Pearson’s 2024 Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School.
Scarlett visited M&S’ print factory to see her design brought to life. She said: “I can’t wait to see it when it goes into store and I’m so excited to have won. I want people to feel important and happy when they wear it, my favourite part was joining up the writing and drawing the sun.”
The hoodie forms part of the M&S x YoungMinds Hello Yellow Kidswear collection, with all profits going to the charity.
Hello Yellow Day takes place on Friday 10 October and encourages communities to show young people they are not alone when it comes to mental health. Schools, businesses and customers are invited to take part by wearing yellow, making a donation in M&S stores, or selecting YoungMinds as their Sparks charity via the M&S app.
Jo Daniels, Head of Community at M&S, said: “Huge congratulations to Scarlett for being one of our Young Designer winners. We’ve been blown away by the number of entries and also the quality and positivity of the designs. We cannot wait to see customers’ reaction to this year’s Hello Yellow collection and it’s brilliant to support YoungMinds’ free and confidential parents helpline as well as all they do to show young people they’re not alone.”
Since launching their partnership in 2023, M&S and YoungMinds have raised £4.4 million to support young people and the adults who care for them.
Lisa Zaranyika, Director of Community, Culture and Services at YoungMinds, said: “It’s wonderful to see Scarlett’s design brought to life. Through our partnership with M&S, we’re reaching more parents and young people and supporting them to have conversations about mental health. YoungMinds’ Hello Yellow Day is all about showing no young person should be alone with their mental health and we hope as many people as possible join us by wearing yellow on the 10th October.”
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