On Monday 22 February the Daily Echo reported on the ‘School Build Challenge’ in which Hedge End-based construction firm Leadbitter is partnering the Daily Echo. Primary, junior and infant schools in Southampton and Hampshire have the chance to win a sum of £3,000, £2,000 or £1,000 to fund the building of an outside facility to improve learning resources at their school, to promote exercise, or improve playground or the school’s ‘green’ facilities.

The Leadbitter Group is a major construction firm in the south east, with a network of regional offices supporting work in construction and affordable housing markets in eastern, southern and south west England, in the Home Counties and south Wales.

To enter the competition schools need to complete an application form (available from the Daily Echo) and write 200 words on why their project should be chosen.

Applications must be in by 31 March.

Pilot Dan Sampon from Hedge End was in the news on Tuesday 23 February when the Daily Echo featured the story of how he will be joining other Hampshire pilots and colleagues from the aviation industry in a trek up East Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro. The five-day walk is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and the group is hoping to raise £8,000 for the charity.

Kilimanjaro is in north-eastern Tanzania and is the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 metres or 19,341 feet and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.

So best of luck to the team!

Also on Tuesday came the news that staff from Hedge End’s Sainsbury’s would that day be joining pupils and teachers from Hedge End’s King’s Copse Primary School to take part in a giant sack race in aid of Sport Relief.

Sport Relief is the charity through which people pledge to raise money to help poor and vulnerable people – in the UK and in some of the poorest communities throughout the world – by getting active. Funds raised are distributed through Comic Relief and this year’s official Sport Relief weekend is Friday 19-Sunday 21 March.

Last Friday, 26 February, saw the news of yet another tailback west-bound on the M27 and with morning rush-hour traffic facing long delays. An accident between Hedge End’s junction 7 and junction 5 involving a lorry, a car and a van resulted in two lanes being closed while 15 fire-fighters worked to release a trapped man. Police later said the man was not seriously injured.

Photo of Mount Kilimanjaro from Flickr, by JungleMan1.