THE School Build Challenge is now complete with all three finalists celebrating with their new outdoor areas.

Last year the Echo together with construction company Leadbitter, who are currently helping to build Brewery Square in Dorchester, teamed up to give schools a chance to win a share of £6,000 of building work for their outside areas.

Ideas from schools included bird hides, nature walks, ponds and bike sheds, but it was Dorchester Learning Centre that scooped the top £3,000 prize.

Second place Southill Primary School have a new walk way to their pond area and third place Greenford Primary School have musical instruments.

Regional director of Leadbitter Dave Cook said the company had a fantastic response from the people of Dorset.

He said: “It’s great, we are really pleased. We have run the initiative elsewhere and we have never had the degree of interest, enthusiasm or take up from schools as we did in Dorset. It makes it all worthwhile.”

Winners, Dorchester Learning Centre, will be getting into the swing of things with their new rope course, which is just being finished off this week Teacher Lorraine Greenham said: “It’s superb, we’re delighted. It’s the end of a great project, it’s nice to see it completed. The fun will be seeing the students using it when it’s ready.”

Staff and students worked very hard to collect the vouchers in the Echo they needed to win. They even held a cake sale with all the money raised going to buy more Echo’s.

Mrs Greenham said: “Everybody’s pulled together to make it happen. The teamwork of the staff and students, friends and relatives was really supportive.”

She added: “It’s better than I ever could have imagined.”

Student Sol Gilday, 16, said: “It should be good fun.

“It will be good for the kids, especially the younger ones.”

Sara Briggs, 15, agreed. She said: “It’s fabulous.”

She added: “It’s going to bring us outside a bit more.”

The new rope course will have rolling logs, balancing beams, a cross-rope walk, swinging logs and bridges for students to climb across The school would like to thank Leadbitter, the Echo, Playforce who installed the new equipment, and all the students, parents and friends who helped them to win.