Young winners of green-travel and literacy challenges enjoyed a celebratory event at Leeds Castle yesterday (Tuesday, November 19).

Pupils from primary schools across Kent, Medway and Bexley were presented with framed certificates and vouchers to either Wildwood animal park or the castle itself after winning county-wide challenges with the KM Charity Team initiatives Buster’s Book Club and Active Wow.

After the presentation ceremony, the children were given the opportunity to explore the castle and its maze and grounds.

And the KM Charity Team has one more Buster’s Book Club incentive up its sleeve this year: schools that sign up for the reading rewards scheme before December 1 will be entered into a prize draw to win two free Eurostar tickets.

The children at the presentation were representing classes that won Buster’s Book Club and Active Wow challenges that took place either in the week before or the week after autumn half-term.

The classes recorded either the highest percentage of children in their districts using green travel to get to and from school or the most home-reading minutes.

They were joined at the presentation ceremony by representatives of Buster’s and Active Wow supporters Countrystyle Recycling, the Education People, Acorns Read and Grow, Buckland Media, Volker Highways, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Specsavers, Leeds Castle and Kent, Medway and Maidstone councils.

KM Charity Team acting general manager Karen Brinkman said: “Many congratulations to the winners of these challenges and thank you so much to everybody at Leeds Castle and the rest of our supporters joining us today.

“These children have applied themselves so conscientiously to Buster’s and Active Wow, showing impressive enthusiasm for green travel and reading.

“I’m sure their schools are reaping the dividends as a result, and I would urge other schools considering signing up to Buster’s to do so by December 1. Any that do will be entered into a free prize draw to win two tickets for the Eurostar.”

The full list of winners was:

Walk to School

Ashford: Coleman Class, Furley Park Primary School

Bexley: 4M Class, Normandy Primary School, Bexleyheath

Dartford: Class 1, Westgate Primary School

Dover: Squirrels Class, Ayelsham Primary

Medway: Buttercups Class, Oasis Academy Skinner Street, Gillingham

Medway: Poplar Class, St Mary’s Catholic School, Gillingham

Sevenoaks: Mother Teresa Class, Hextable Primary School

Sittingbourne: Becket Class, Bapchild and Tonge C of E Primary School

Sittingbourne: Class 6 Oak, Milton Court Primary Academy

Thanet: Class 5W, Cliftonville Primary School

Buster’s Book Club

Canterbury: Jaguar Class, Chartham Primary School

Dover: Nightingale Class, Barton Junior School

Dover: Red Panda Class, Langdon Primary School

Folkestone and Hythe: Willow Class, Brenzett CE Primary School

Folkestone and Hythe: Silver Birch Class, Harcourt Primary School

Maidstone: St John Class, St Francis Catholic Primary School

Maidstone: Maple Class, West Borough Primary School

Medway: Juniper Class, Lordswood School

Medway: St John Class, St Micheal’s RC Primary School

Thanet: Class 5C, Garlinge Primary School and Nursery

Buster’s Book Club and Active Wow use a spirit of friendly competition to encourage children to read more at home and use green travel to get to and from school.

Individual schools’ classes compete against each other for weekly trophies, and the winners of monthly inter-school challenges involving schools across Kent are rewarded with vouchers to leisure attractions or visits by celebrity storytellers.

Active Wow is supported by Ashford International Hotel, Orbit, Volker Highways, Countrystyle Recycling, Golding Vision, Specsavers, Eurostar, Kent, Maidstone, Bexley, Medway and Ashford councils, the Morrisons Foundation, Buckland Media and the Education People.

And Buster’s Book Club is supported by Buster’s is supported by the Education People, Golding Vision, Specsavers, Leeds Castle, Diggerland, Hornby, Wildwood, Rotary, Acorns Read and Grow, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Buckland Media and Medway and Kent councils.

Find out more at www.bustersbookclub.co.uk and Kmwalktoschool.co.uk.