July 2025

MMF’s design awards for young people sparked a wealth of exciting product ideas that were celebrated at an awards evening in the Friends’ Shop.

The third MMF Heritage Design Challenge, promoted to schools across Kent, encourages young people to visit Maidstone Museum and create a product idea from something they have seen there. Winning products are sold in the Museum shop.

This year’s winning schools were Meadowfield School Sittingbourne – the first special school to feature in the competition – and Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Faversham. Between them, they won prize money of £300 for their achievements. Meadowfield students in Year 8 and 9 art class came up with designs for clay models based on objects seen in the museum. An absorbing Roman Coin Maze, created by Queen Elizabeth’s Year 12 students Leo, Hannah and Scarlett, was the overall winner.  They produced several of the products to sell in the museum shop, and are committed to producing more if sales go well. Queen Elizabeth’s runners-up were Year 12 students Medi McRory for her Elk Racers – inspired by the skull of a Mesolithic Elk – and Arthur Waring for his Lives in our Landscape jigsaw puzzle inspired by the museum’s new gallery opened in June 2024.

Janette Lloyd, founder and organiser of the competition, paid tribute to Meadowfield School. “Your journey was a very tough one and the fact that you have produced stunning work that used the inspiration of the museum is amazing. Very well done.” She praised the Queen Elizabeth’s students. “I was very impressed by the paperwork from the students and the outcomes.”

A large audience of families, friends and MMF members applauded the winners on July 15, 2025 as Victoria Wallace DL, MMF President, presented the prizes. She thanked Mrs Lloyd and MMF trustees for organising the competition and staging the ceremony. “We’re really delighted to have a new generation coming through to share enthusiasm for the things that are in the museum,” she said.