The county’s top young readers met arts and crafts hero Phil Gallagher from CBeebies’ Mister Maker at the weekend.

The CBeebies star rewarded children using Buster’s Book Club – the innovative reading reward scheme run by the KM Charity Team – with tickets to his Mister Maker and the Shapes Live tour at Margate’s Winter Gardens.

All classes involved with the walk to school schemes Active Wow and Green Footsteps as well as the home reading initiative Buster’s Book Club were in the running to win the prize, but it was a class at Bridge and Patrixbourne Primary School that clinched top spot as most improved readers. Six-year-olds Winter Stevens-Greenwood and Finlay Chittenden from the class met the star and his sidekick Ted at a meet and greet session after the show.

Simon Dolby of the KM Charity Team said: “Phil is always fantastic when meeting his fans and I am so grateful he gave time to meet our winners. His involvement with our charity is a fantastic incentive to encourage children to read more through Buster’s Book Club and to walk to school through Active Wow.”

Schools can sign up to Active Wow by contacting Sarah Clyne at sclyne@thekmgroup.co.uk or visiting www.kmwalktoschool.co.uk. Join Buster’s Book Club at www.bustersbookclub.co.uk or by contacting Charlotte Hayes at chayes@thekmgroup.co.uk

The KM Charity Team’s green travel and literacy work is supported by Golding Vision (part of Golding Homes), Bel UK, Orbit, Kent Libraries, Specsavers, Eurostar, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Volker Highways, Kent County Council, Medway Council, London Borough of Bexley, Leeds Castle, Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons’ Charity, Whitefriars, Maidstone Borough Council, Ashford Borough Council, Swale Borough Council and Canterbury City Council.

• Mister Maker and the Shapes Live tour in October continues in Kent at Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall Theatre on Thursday 26, and Dartford Orchard Theatre on Sunday 29. Visitwww.mistermakerlive.co.uk