HESWALL schoolchildren are have been crowned UK champions in the Better Energy School Awards.

Pupils of Heswall Primary School were named the champions after their project 'Extinction Is Forever' took top spot in the nationwide competition and were handed a £5,000 prize.

They were handed the award by celebrity guests TV star Dermot O'Leary, children's author Andy Stanton plus The Durrells' Callum Woodhouse and Daisy Waterstone.

The youngsters worked together with five other schools in their federation to create Extinction Is Forever which was screened as part of Wirral Science Under The Stars - an event hosted by the school which attracted more than 1,000 visitors.

Their film highlights the problems faced by endangered species across the planet.

Deputy headteacher Nicola Bolton said “Heswall Primary are absolutely thrilled to be chosen for a Better Energy School Award. As the environmental ambassadors of the future, our pupils already recognise that the world is facing many critical

environmental challenges and are passionate about finding creative solutions.

"We are incredibly proud of our conservation film work and have realised how film can be used to disseminate powerful environmental messages to the local and global community.”

The Better Energy School Awards is a nationwide competition for five to 11 year olds, which is run by the Young People’s Trust for the Environment (YPTE) in partnership with Total.

The aim of the competition is to generate interest in the environment and raise awareness of the need for sustainable energy sources.

YPTE director, Peter Littlewood, said: “At a time when we know that human activities have wiped out over half the planet’s wildlife in less than 50 years, it’s so important that people are aware of endangered species and how we can save them.

"These children have understood how important it is for us all that we act now to protect rare and vanishing species before it’s too late.

"The way they used their film to spread that message much more widely is really impressive.”

For more information on how to enter the Better Energy School Awards competition in 2019-20 visit

http://betterenergyschoolawards.org.uk