Children at Thamesview School are in a race against time to collect 1,500 bottles to build an eight-foot eco greenhouse.

Student councillors at the Thong Lane school have been asked to create the structure as a part of Gravesham council’s Gravesham in Bloom project.

People can donate two-litre clear plastic bottles at a bottle bank in the main car park of the school while other collection points are available at the Civic Centre and at TownCentric, next to St George’s shopping centre.

The council’s Gravesham in Bloom is part of the larger South and South East in Bloom competition held by Southern Water.

Gravesham has won Silver Gilt for the past two years, though this year they are going for gold.

All local businesses and residents within a mile of the town centre are being asked to get involved by decorating their garden with flowers and as much colour as possible.

Thamesview pupil Fraser Ross, 16, said: “To achieve this, Gravesham will need to score enough points by impressing judges with eco-friendly activity, blooming flowers and recycling.

“Signage to our bottle bin has been constructed by students and the nearby Viewpoint club has also offered to help by saving all their two-litre clear bottles.”

The greenhouse will then be built by Thamesview’s Vocational Centre team and transported to the Civic Centre. It will then be secured to the raised area of Community Square to be displayed for a number of weeks, in time for judging by Southern Water in early July.

The winners will be announced in September.

The council has also pulled together an ‘urban knitting group’ of volunteers. The group has started knitting and crocheting flowers.

They meet every Monday from noon until 2pm at The Woodville, Gravesend.

All are welcome.