YOUNG writers, photographers and environmentalists at The Cotswold School showcased their talents in a competition organised by the Rotary Club.

North Cotswolds Rotary and Rotary in the Rissingtons took part in judging the Young Writer, Young Photographer, and Young Environmentalist competitions at the Bourton-on-the-Water based school.

The theme for the Young Writers competition was ‘connections’.

Topics varied widely, from a piece by the intermediate age group winner about one of the earliest Ferraris that lost its wheels in a race and many years later was rebuilt and reunited with them, to stories about family strife, and a story about the connection felt between a young indigenous girl living in the Amazon forests, and how keenly she felt a sense of loss as the forests were cut down.

The winners of the Young Writer competition were: Rhiannon Ashby, Ben Murray, Alexa Butterfield, Reuben West.

‘Through My Eyes’ was the theme of the Young Photographers competition. The winners were: Lila Murray, Charlie Dodridge, Isla Mackintosh, Arthur Mackintosh, Henry Hunt and Lula Thorpe.

A new competition, the Young Environmentalist, saw students required to investigate, research, and undertake an environmental sustainability project on the theme of waste minimisation.

The Senior age group winner, Rebecca Fulford, carried out an interesting project measuring emissions from school buses whose engines are left idling for ten minutes or more while waiting for students to board.

The results were later sent to the local bus company, which responded to say that their fleet of school buses were amongst the most modern available using the latest technology.

A team involving Alice Cashell, Lily Nevins and Emilia Poole won the Intermediate age group with a device designed to catch plastic waste flowing down a local stream.

Mike Boyes, lead judge for North Cotswolds Rotary, praised all students who took part in the three competitions.

“We hope that all those taking part will go on to develop their own particular styles of writing or photography, and that the young environmentalists will inspire others to take action to reduce waste,” he said.