Students Know Their Rights In Young Consumer Competition

Four pupils from Dingwall Academy are the winners of the North of Scotland Heat of the Young Consumer of the Year Competition held on Friday 12th December at The Highland Council Chambers, Inverness.

Quiz-master, Jamie Stone MSP Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, put teams from Highland and Aberdeenshire to the test, with questions on money and credit, consumer law, food and safety and the environment.

Organised by The Highland Council’s Trading Standards Team within TEC Services, the North of Scotland competition has seen a rise in teams from all over the North of Scotland competing for a place in the Scottish Final in 2009.

The winning team, from Dingwall Academy, will now go on to represent the North of Scotland area in the Scottish finals which are due to be held in March 2009 with the winners then representing Scotland in the UK Final.

Presenting prizes to Dingwall Academy pupils Clarissa De Kruijff, Blabheinn Mackintosh, Eilidh Hailstones and Stephanie Watson – Margaret Garth of United Utilities said: “United Utilities are delighted to support the Young Consumer of the Year Competition as it gives us an opportunity to meet students from schools based around the whole of the north of Scotland”.

Ms Garth added: “Part of our work in partnership with schools nationally is to raise awareness of the work we do in ensuring safe, clean drinking water.  It is important to educate future generations of the valuable resource of clean drinking water and how this resource can be affected by pollution and other environmental issues.” 

Councillor John Laing, Chairman of The Highland Council’s TEC Services Committee said: “Youngsters benefit greatly from participating in the competition, even if they do not get the top prize.  The knowlegde they gain about credit, money, shopping rights to name but a few of the subjects covered in the competition will be invaluable to them once they leave school for further education and employment.”

Cllr Laing further added his thanks to Highland Council’s Trading Standards staff for organising the event. He said: “Highland Trading Standards is leading the way in promoting this important educational event for youngsters in the North of Scotland.  I would like to thanks all those who took part in the competition and to the Trading Standards staff for organising the event. Our thanks must also go to Jamie Stone MSP who continues to support the competition by being quizmaster for the North of Scotland event.”

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