A DORCHESTER school has won a national award for its environmental work.

Damers First School was crowned Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) Plastic Free Schools’ Champion in a glitzy awards ceremony at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

The awards ceremony was hosted by BBC One Show presenter and SAS trustee Lucy Siegle and celebrated the work that young people, national organisations and individuals have done to reduce single use plastic.

The judges applauded Damers First School for embedding sustainability work across the school curriculum as well as the children going to Westminster to meet Michael Gove to discuss the importance of an ‘all in’ system for the Deposit Recycle Scheme with support from Campaign to Protect Rural England and Litter Free Dorset with the children appearing on CBBC Newsround.

Edd Moore, Eco Coordinator at Damers, said: "I am so proud of all the children. Their hard work, determination, passion, knowledge, love for the environment and drive has got the school to this amazing national award.

"To have led a school, community and county let alone taking it nationwide is phenomenal.

"So many groups in Dorchester have formed from the inspirational work the children have done which makes me feel very proud and humble.

"If you give children, the platform and the confidence to speak this is what they can do."

Surfers Against Sewage received 850 nominations for the ten awards on the night, including the Sir Malcolm Walker Award for the biggest influencer on plastics, which was awarded to Sir David Attenborough.

The producer of Blue Planet 2 collected the award on his behalf.

Each limited edition award was handmade from recycled glass in the shape of a plastic bottle, by Kurt Jackson, sculpture artist who was born in Blandford and now lives in Cornwall.

Mayor full of praise for youngsters - by Trevor Bevins

DORCHESTER Mayor Richard Biggs praised staff and students at Damers First School after being crowned Plastic Free School Champion at the Surfers Against Sewage awards.

“They have done some fantastic work at the school,” said Cllr Biggs at a Dorchester Town Council meeting.

He said their campaign to get the school and the town plastic free had been inspirational with other schools, such as The Prince of Wales School, and other organisations in the town.

The town council and Dorchester Football Club are just two other organisations in the local area to have followed the youngsters' example.

Cllr Susie Hosford said: “We should write and acknowledge their achievement. It just goes on and on."

Edd Moore, Eco-Coordinator at Damers, said the school was shortlisted with three others for the award, which was presented at a star-studded ceremony in Bristol.

He said that judges praised how the pupil’s eco-work was embedded in the school curriculum .

Earlier this year, some of the pupils had challenged the then Environmental Secretary Michael Gove when they appeared on BBC Newsround.