Pictured: Local primary school pupils, Maeve Cullen, Finn Heavern and Benjamin Griffiths get in focus to help launch the #MyHarbour competition, which calls for all tech-savvy schoolchildren from across Northern Ireland to put their screen skills to the ultimate test.

Belfast Harbour invites young people from schools in North Down and the surrounding area to capture their imagination in new #MyHarbour online competition

Belfast Harbour is urging all tech-savvy schoolchildren from across Belfast to put their screen skills to the ultimate test by taking part in its biggest online competition yet.

Aimed at encouraging a deeper understanding of its pivotal local economic role and the impact it has on our everyday lives, the harbour is urging all 10 to 12 year old pupils to take a photograph or upload a 30-second video which features an interesting item or a product of their choice that could be linked back to Belfast Harbour.

Belfast Harbour is a major economic hub for the whole of Northern Ireland, handling 70% of all seaborne trade and 20% of maritime trade for the entire island of Ireland. A vital gateway for essential raw materials including fuel, steel and cement, it also imports a huge range of consumer goods, including food, vegetables, clothes and electronic equipment.

In 2015 alone, Belfast Harbour handled 23 million tonnes of cargo.

The pupil with the best idea and who demonstrates the most creativity will win a specially-chartered boat trip around the harbour for their whole class, while one chosen from each county in Northern Ireland will receive a special #MyHarbour pack for themselves and their classmates.

Belfast Harbour’s Communications and Corporate Responsibility Manager, Jenni Barkley, said:

“Belfast Harbour plays an essential role in Northern Ireland’s economy, which remains dependent on seaborne trade and drives an extraordinary impact on the lives of every household and business.

“With this innovative and exciting competition, we’re looking for talented young photographers and film makers from the North Down area to make their entries stand out from the crowd by using their best ideas to demonstrate how the harbour makes a big impact on their own daily lives.”

The #MyHarbour competition runs until Friday 10th June. For more information, visit www.belfast-harbour.co.uk/myharbourcompetition.