Travel has changed my life. As a young person, it gave me confidence. As an adult, each travel experience has changed me. From Canada to the Outer Hebrides, my adventures have allowed me to explore and learn more about the world.

My first experience of the Falklands was astounding. I was like ‘Look at that! Wow! I didn’t know there were big white sandy beaches! I’ve got sunburnt, it’s supposed to be raining here all the time!’ It was the realisation that all of those preconceptions that I’d had from images from the early 80s weren’t what the Falklands were all about. I am therefore thrilled to support the Falklands Forty Schools Competition, which will offer eight lucky winners the chance to travel to the Falkland Islands to discover more about these remote islands and all they have to offer.

The Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 8,000 miles from the UK and about 400 miles from the Latin American mainland. The Islands are home to about 3,200 people and, so it is said, about 450,000 sheep, along with 1,000,000 breeding pairs of penguins from five different species, sea lions, leopard seals and 70% of the world’s black-browed albatross. Falkland Islanders often refer to their island home as ‘the best little country in the world’.

For many people, the Falkland Islands have become inextricably associated with the Falklands War which took place in 1982, ending with the eventual liberation of the islands by a British Task Force. Others may know the Falklands as a gateway to Antarctica and an important supply base for the British Antarctic Survey. Others may be aware of the Islands’ historic role in sheep farming and wool production and, today, its globally famous fisheries.

But what do the Falkland Islands mean to you? That’s what we want to find out in this competition, held to mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War. Perhaps a member of your family fought in that war and you want to tell their story; perhaps you love penguins or are inspired by the Falkland Islands’ pristine and varied landscapes and its commitment to environmentalism; perhaps you want to dig into the Islands’ fascinating history, their relationship with Britain and the wider world, as a gateway to Antarctica, and as a staging post in the ‘heroic age’ of exploration; perhaps you’re interested in the modern Falklands and their cultural, political, and diplomatic links with the UK and Latin America; or perhaps you’ve never heard of the Falkland Islands before and have been inspired to find out more?

We want to hear from you – your stories, your research, and your insights into the history, geography, culture, people, or environment of the Falkland Islands. The competition invites you to submit your creative entries in the form of essays or stories, posters, podcasts, or short films. We welcome submissions from students of all backgrounds attending different types of schools from across the UK. For more detailed guidance click on the button below.

Let your Falklands adventure begin!