STUDENTS from Invicta Girls' Grammar School are to play a key role in staging the Maidstone heat of the KM Big Quiz this year.

Girls involved with the business and enterprise course at the grammar school have decided to take on support of the Walking Bus Project and its Green Footsteps scheme as part of their coursework.

They are required to assist a real life enterprise and after discussions with the HSBC, sponsor of Green Footsteps, opted to support the fund-raising and community events staged by the walk to school charity.

First on the list will be the Big Quiz, which the charity takes the lead in organising for the Kent Messenger Group, and later in the year the students will support a sponsored challenge once a location for a zip wire event has been identified.

In the run up to the Big Quiz the students will be using their marketing skills to attract extra teams to take part and to source raffle prizes from the business community.

Mrs Julie Derrick, director of learning, business and enterprise at the grammar school, said: "I am delighted the girls have decided to back the KM Walking Bus Project. The Big Quiz will be a great first event for them to get involved in. I have no doubt they will learn a lot from the experience."

Julia Smith of HSBC Maidstone, said: "My colleagues in East Kent helped stage the record-breaking Canterbury Big Quiz and now everyone at this end of the county is determined the Maidstone KM Big Quiz will be bigger and raise more money for Green Footsteps and other nominated charities."

Tickets for Big Quiz 2007 are now on sale and are expected to sell out fast, so quiz-goers are advised to get their teams organised as quickly as possible to avoid disappointment.

The quiz will take place at Maidstone Leisure Centre, Mote Park, at 7pm on Friday, June 15, and tickets can be bought using the application form printed in the Kent Messenger or through the Big Quiz section of the Walking Bus website.

Causes to benefit from the proceeds are: The Mayor of Maidstone's Charity Appeal, the Heart of Kent Hospice and the children's road safety charity, Kent Walking Bus Project and the League of Friends at Maidstone Hospital.

The cost for a table of eight people is £50, which is £6.25 per person. The ticket price includes a ploughman's meal.

To break the record event organisers need to attract more than 77 teams of eight people or raise more than £10,000. Both current records were set at a charity event held in Canterbury in March, 2007. Last year's Maidstone event attracted 48 teams.

Simon Dolby, who is chairman of the Walking Bus Project and will be questionmaster at the charity event, said the evening would appeal to the serious quiz-goer as well as groups just there for a fun night out.

He said: "Questions will be carefully selected to ensure everyone enjoys themselves.

"There will be a mix of easy ones to appeal to the quiz novices, as well as a number of tougher brain-teasers to guarantee the eventual winner has earned it!"

He stressed that the KM Big Quiz was a team event and that individuals would not have a spotlight turned on them and be asked to answer questions.

A number of sponsors have already agreed to support the KM Big Quiz with Maidstone Leisure Centre providing the venue for free and P&O Ferries donating vouchers for all eight members of the winning team to take a car and up to nine passengers to France for an extended trip.

Mr Dolby said: "We are keen to hear from other companies interested in sponsoring this event, either by providing prizes for the winners on the night, or by sponsoring quiz rounds."

To have a quiz round named after your business or organisation costs £100 in sponsorship. To be a main sponsor for the event costs £500. For information call Mr Dolby on 07989 164 752.