RockReef’s 10th Birthday Mascot Challenge Competition Winner Announced!
RockReef on Bournemouth Pier is thrilled to announce the winner of its highly anticipated 10th Birthday Mascot Challenge Competition, after receiving an array of creative entries from children across the BCP area.
The judging panel selected Izabela Kaczynska, aged 12, as the winner of this exciting competition.
Izabela’s imaginative mascot design stood out for its bold colours, adventurous spirit, and perfect embodiment of RockReef’s ethos of fun and excitement. The new mascot will now take centre stage as the official face of RockReef’s 10th birthday celebrations, which will continue in November. The character will be brought to life and used in the birthday marketing.
A New Face for RockReef
The winning design, alongside the top ten, will also be featured in a special exhibition, curated by Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), showcasing the top entries submitted by talented young artists, hosted at RockReef on the Pier.
In addition to this exciting accolade, Izabela will enjoy a year of free Clip’n Climb sessions at RockReef, giving her the chance to experience all the fun activities the attraction has to offer. AUB has awarded a place at its Saturday Art School as a prize for the budding artist so she can finesse her skills further.
The Judges
The difficult task of selecting the winning design fell to a prestigious judging panel, including:
- Violet McClean, TheGallery Curator/Manager, Arts University Bournemouth
- James Johnson, Editor, Daily Echo
- Cllr Andy Martin, Customer, Communications and Culture, BCP Council
The judges praised the creativity and enthusiasm of all the participants, with Violet McClean noting, “It’s been wonderful to see such imaginative and diverse designs. The level of talent and thought put into the entries was truly impressive.”
Celebrating Creativity
James Balcazar, Marketing Manager for Adventure Attractions, commented: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response to our Mascot Challenge and are incredibly excited to reveal the new face of RockReef for our 10th birthday. It’s been a fantastic way to engage with local children and celebrate our anniversary in a meaningful way. A huge thank you to all the young artists who participated!”
Izabela said, “When I first visited RockReef, I was a bit scared to climb, and I thought it would have been easier if I had a friendly mascot to help me feel brave. I hope this mascot can help other kids feel that way too.
“I chose a character for the mascot that has a slim, flexible body – perfect for getting through tunnels or caves like the ones at RockReef! Its fluffy fur can help comfort kids who might be nervous about climbing, like a reassuring hug. I even designed its body with a rope-like texture to represent the ropes used in Clip ’n Climb for safety. And, of course, I used RockReef’s bright, inviting colours to make it feel at home.
“I’d like to thank my art teacher, Miss Witherington from St. Peter’s School, who told me about the competition.”