Children from across Kent were rewarded with prizes last week after winning competitions for reading and walking to school.

Pupils and teachers from 16 schools across Kent, Medway and Bexley were invited to Leeds Castle by the KM Charity Team, and presented with certificates and free-entry tickets to the castle or Wildwood animal park near Herne Bay.

Their classes were the winners in October challenges for green travel schemes Super Wow and Green Footsteps, and the reading reward initiative Buster’s Book Club.

The Walk to School winners included Birchington C of E’s 4HC class and St Clare Class of St Benedict’s Primary in Chatham.

Birchington C of E pupil Scarlett Lloyd said: “Walking to school is good because you can get fresh air and it’s really good exercise.”

Her classmate, Filip Kostic, added: “I think it’s good to walk because it’s good for the environment, and we can walk and have chats with our friends.”

And Saint Benedict’s pupil Abraham Wale-Ajasa said: “We love walking to school. We can grow socially better by talking to our friends and have a good life. And it keeps us very healthy so that when we group up we can be fit and strong.

The Buster’s Book Club winners included St Paul’s class of St Michael’s RC Primary, also in Chatham.

St Michael’s pupil Krissa Hernandez said: “Buster’s improves our reading skills and opens up our imaginations.”

KM Charity Team chief executive Simon Dolby said: “Thank you so much to Leeds Castle for hosting this event today, and many congratulations to all the children picking up their certificates and tickets today.

“All the winners have worked incredibly hard and fully deserve their rewards, and I am confident their schools will notice the benefits of participating in these two schemes in terms of improved literacy standards and child health and well-being.”

The children were joined at the event by representatives of scheme sponsors Leeds Castle, Ashford and Medway councils, Countrystyle Recycling and Three R’s Teacher Recruitment.

Walk to School is supported by Whites Transport, Ashford International Hotel, Orbit, Volker Highways, Countrystyle Recycling, Golding Vision (part of Golding Homes), Specsavers, Eurostar, Kent, Medway, Maidstone, Bexley and Ashford councils, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment and Whitefriars.

Buster’s Book Club is supported by Little Cheyne Court (Romney Marsh), Kent Community Foundation, Golding Vision (part of Golding Homes), Orbit, Specsavers, Leeds Castle, Planet Ice, Diggerland, Hornby, Wildwood, Acorn Read and Grow, Revolution and Kent and Medway councils.

Classes taking part in the two schemes compete for Class of the Week trophies, and winners of monthly inter-school challenges are rewarded with tickets to leisure attractions or visits by celebrity storytellers.

To find out more, visit bustersbookclub.co.uk or kmwalktoschool.co.uk.

And watch a video of the event here: