PUPILS from a group of Tyne Valley schools have won a national competition for their efforts to protect bees and help the environment.

At the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London, they received a Bees’ Needs Champions Award, presented by Defra Minister Lord Gardiner.

The competition was organised to celebrate bee-friendly initiatives all over the country, from playgrounds to parks, farms and famous streets. A partnership of four Northumberland schools, led by Ovingham Middle School, won the Best School and Community category.

Five pupils and two teachers travelled to London last week to collect the award, accompanied by Jilly Halliday, whose son Stanley attends the school, and Kate Agar.

Jilly and Kate are both beekeepers who have masterminded and won a grant for a three-year project called Polli:Nation which involves Broomley and Ovingham first schools, Ovingham Middle and Prudhoe High School. Each one is developing wildflower gardens or fields in their school grounds along with other projects to raise awareness of the importance of bees and pollinating insects.

As well as running the scheme, Jilly and Kate have recruited a raft of experts and volunteers and secured donations like wildflower seeds and bulbs.

The combined projects were viewed as one huge achievement, which was singled out for special praise by Lord Gardiner.

Jilly said: “Winning this national award is knockout. The Polli:Nation team has worked incredibly hard with the children, trying to squeeze it into their busy schooldays and harness their great enthusiasm.

“It’s brilliant to have won. But what’s even better is knowing that lots of young people are much more aware of bees and environmental issues because of our work.”

Kate Agar explained that children were first introduced to beekeeping at Broomley First School, in Stocksfield, and they took their interest with them when they moved on to Ovingham Middle School.

What began as a small project has spread to other schools, following pupils through their school careers.

Broomley pupil Evie Agar was one of the children who travelled to London to collect the award.