PUPILS at The Mead Academy Trust in Trowbridge were buzzing with excitement last week as they completed the Loose Change Challenge.

Last March the trust, which manages The Mead, Castle Mead, River Mead and The Mead at Wingfield, was selected to take part in a UK-wide programme called Polli:Nation which aims to educate pupils on the dwindling population of Britain’s pollinating insects.

On Tuesday pupils brought loose change from home into school and laid the pennies onto a bee outline which had been drawn on the playground.

Chair of governors, Melanie Jacob, said: “Polli:Nation aims to improve the diversity of habitats for pollinating insects.

“A total of 65 schools were chosen from across the UK and we were one of the only ones in the South West.

“At The Mead we are making sure that all pupils know what the programme is about and why it’s so important.

“As part of that awareness we took part in the Loose Change Challenge and all pupils were buzzing to take part.

“By engaging in schemes such as this, our children are more likely to grow up to be citizens who care about our environment.”

By completing the challenge, pupils raised around £300 which will be given to the Friends of The Mead.

Parents were informed of the challenge two weeks before it took place so they could look for loose change around the house.

Pupils at the Wingfield site also took part in the challenge, with classes taking it in turn to lay their pennies down.

The Polli:Nation project has been developed by Learning through Landscapes in association with sector partners The Field Studies Council, Buglife, Butterfly Conservation, OPAL Imperial College London, Stirling University, Bumblebee Conservation Trust and The Conservation Volunteers.