A 16-year-old student from Tamworth has won a competition to design one of the sculptures for the new Staffy Trail, which will launch this spring to mark the tenth anniversary of Staffordshire Day.
Amy Stokes impressed judges with her creative design for one of the larger-than-life sculptures of Staffy, the county’s loveable canine visitor mascot. The sculptures will form a major new art trail opening on Staffordshire Day (1 May).
The trail - created in partnership with the Local Visitor Economy Partnership, Making Trails, and business sponsors - aims to encourage residents and visitors to explore town centres across Staffordshire while celebrating everything the county has to offer.
The competition invited people of all ages from across Staffordshire to submit their ideas for decorating the sculptures. More than 250 entries were received, but Amy’s design stood out for the way it captured the spirit of the county.
Her artwork features a range of Staffordshire-inspired elements, including the iconic Staffordshire knot woven into Staffy’s bandana, an Alton Towers rollercoaster, and nods to Amy’s hometown of Tamworth – including the famous Tamworth Pig and local food favourite Spudman.
Amy said:
“I entered the competition because I wanted to show what living in Staffordshire felt like to me and, when I won the competition, I was honoured to be chosen and excited to have my design be a part of the Staffy Trail.”
Amy, who is currently studying GCSE Art and hopes to continue the subject at A level, will now work with a professional artist to bring her winning design to life on one of the large sculptures.
Hayley Coles, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture, said:
“Congratulations to Amy on her fantastic design, which encapsulated so much of Staffordshire. It’s brilliant to see young people getting involved in celebrating our county and showcasing what makes Staffordshire special.
“The Staffy Trail will be a great way to bring people into our towns, support local businesses and encourage visitors to discover more of what Staffordshire has to offer. As the beating heart of the country, we’re proud to share our local stories with visitors from across the UK.”
The announcement comes as English Tourism Week 2026 gets underway from 13–22 March, celebrating the national theme ‘Local Stories. National Growth.’ In Staffordshire, the visitor economy contributes £2.7 billion to the local economy each year, supporting 25,000 jobs. It has grown by a third since the pandemic and overnight visitor numbers have risen by 5.3%, highlighting the county’s growing appeal as a destination for visitors.
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