Three Northumberland schools will compete in the Young Green Briton Challenge (YGBC) in London with innovative climate action ideas.

35 year seven students from Hexham Middle, Corbridge Middle, and St Joseph's Middle School showcased their environmental concepts in a regional Dragon’s Den style competition hosted by Northumberland County Council.

Their forward-thinking proposals spanned diverse aspects of environmental protection, including addressing fast fashion, biodiversity loss, renewable energy generation, and energy wastage.

The judges, who included deputy leader of the Council, Richard Wearmouth, Neil Dorward from the Council’s education team, Craig Burnside from Aveas, an YGBC sponsor, and Elfi Bretterklieber-Taye of Egger, a local company providing mentorship for YGBC, selected three exceptional teams.

The teams earned the chance to progress in the competition and demonstrate their ideas at the National Award Finals in London.

The selected teams comprised:

- The Fashion Frogs from Corbridge Middle School with a uniform recycling project to reduce wastage and the financial burden of new school clothing. - The Fast Fashionistas from St Joseph’s Middle School who devised a prototype clothes recycling bin called Munch (Making Unused Neglected Clothes Helpful) to promote the reuse and sustainability of fashion. - Let the Flowers ‘Bee’gin from Hexham Middle School who planned to foster biodiversity, focusing on bees, by distributing bee-friendly flower seeds to schools and garden centres.

Councillor Richard Wearmouth said: "I am honoured to be part of this fantastic event and have been truly inspired by our young people here in Northumberland.

"This initiative not only fosters environmental stewardship of our future generations but also enriches their confidence, presentation skills, research acumen, and creativity.

"I’m excited to see these teams – winners or not – progress and grow their ideas into projects which will really make a difference.

"All the pupils involved in the challenge should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved."

The participating teams received extensive preparation, including classes and design workshops, to study local environmental issues and devise inventive solutions.

Northumberland council's seed funding provided support to these young eco-entrepreneurs, along with mentorship from teachers, volunteers, and local firms like Egger.

Dr Meryl Batchelder, science teacher at Corbridge Middle School and event organiser, said: "Education in schools can help create agents of change to help us move towards a sustainable future.

"The Young Green Briton Challenge is an initiative which promotes climate education and school-based action through building skills and celebrating youth-led ideas whilst helping to improve the school and wider community.

"By hosting the first ever regional final of the Challenge Northumberland County Council is leading the way in supporting children to have incredible learning opportunities and help them to develop entrepreneurial skills in sustainability."

Apart from these top contenders, the event displayed other noteworthy initiatives like Make Wool Cool, The Oompaloompas, The Climate Clan, The Pipe Spinners, The MPGs, and Versa Fashion, each confronting urgent environmental challenges with resourcefulness and resolve.

Northumberland schools are encouraged to participate in the Northumberland Schools Sustainability Network (NSSN) to learn more about proactive steps to combat climate change.