VIDEO: Pupils buzzing as work goes on show in Southwater

Colourful bees created by students from Southwater Junior Academy, Southwater Infant Academy and Castlewood Primary School have been put on display on the old railway bridge, in Worthing Road, Southwater, with the aim of brightening up the area.

Students at the schools were challenged by Southwater Parish Council to colour in and paint bee templates with the 21 winning entries being recreated by BEL Signs of Horsham and placed on a suitable material so they could be stuck to the bridge.

Peter Buckley, chairman of Southwater Parish Council, was one of the people in charge of choosing the best designs.

He said: “I am really happy with the standard of entries.

“Judging them was very difficult right down to the last one as the standard was very high. It is great to see all of them all getting involved.

“It is a pretty ugly bridge so we thought we would liven it up. We have done just that.”

The project was first run by the Parish Council last year when they challenged pupils to make colourful butterfly designs, some of which still remain on the bridge.

The council also installed bird boxes and bug boxes to try and encourage more wildlife to come and live in the area and have also added planters containing bright flowers.

Mr Buckley said that the Parish was already thinking about next year’s event but said they are not quite sure what insect they will chose next.

“We thought we would do it again next year but the question is which bug to do next. We were thinking caterpillars but we are not sure yet.”

Alexis Conway head teacher at Southwater Junior Academy said: “It is good that the Parish Council has invited the local schools to come down and brighten up a commonly used area with artwork from the children.

“It was incredibly hard to judge the hundreds of entries we have had as the standard has been very high.”