THE Proud To Be York 1999 campaign got off to a flying start today with its first entry from environmentally-conscious pupils at Tang Hall Primary School.

Tang Hall Primary School pupils, from left, Kerrie Yates, Danielle Bellwood and Vanessa Fordington with the pond and garden they have entered in the Proud To Be York awards

The children have come up with an excellent scheme to create a wildlife area in part of their school grounds.

It is a joint project with the students of Burnholme Community College, who have helped build a pond and plant shrubs and flowers.

The idea for the wildlife area - which will be in full bloom by the summer - came after the children realised they had very little "green space" within the school grounds.

The schools applied for a grant and the pupils at Tang Hall took part in a competition to design the wildlife area.

Nigel Smith, deputy head teacher at Tang Hall, said: "We're keen to encourage the studying of wildlife and we wanted to create an area that encouraged awareness.

"Up until recently, when the children have been learning about pond wildlife and how things grow, we've had to walk quite a distance to the nearest pond. Now it's just a case of walking into the school grounds."

He said the pupils had all been extremely enthusiastic about the project and were keen to watch the wildlife area take shape. "It's been an excellent way for them to learn and our 'little garden' should help a lot of other pupils in the future," he said.

He said all the children were keen to take part in the Proud To Be York 1999 campaign.

"We're really pleased to support it and we feel we have a good entry - we're proud to be York and our scheme proves it."

The campaign has four awards - best business category, best youth project, a resident category and the smartest tourist attraction. The winners of each of the four categories will receive a cash prize of £500 and a plaque.

Everyone who enters the campaign will receive a special certificate for taking part.

Entries should be sent in over the next few months. Judging will take place in July.

All winners will be announced on Yorkshire Day - August 1.

Click here for Proud to be York

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.