A WINCHESTER youth conservation charity have set up a new schools art competition.

Set up by the Cameron Bespolka Trust, in conjunction with The Pilgrims’ School, the competition aims to encourage local children to be more curious about nature on their doorstep.

Open to pupils aged seven to 13 (years 3 to 8) who attend school in Winchester, children are invited to create a piece of art using various media – painting, drawing, photography or textiles, representing a bird that can be seen in the local area.

Head of Art at The Pilgrims’ School, Mrs Emma van Zeller said that she was very excited about the competition and was delighted to be supporting the charity. She said: “The competition provides an exciting opportunity to observe the beauty of nature. I hope entrants will venture outdoors and have fun experimenting with ways of capturing local birdlife on paper.”

The Cameron Bespolka Trust was set up in memory of former Pilgrims’ pupil Cameron Bespolka who tragically died while on a skiing holiday in Austria in 2013.

Inspired by Cameron’s ambition to encourage other young people to share his love of nature and birds, the charity has develops projects to help connect children with the outdoors.

All category winners, runners-up and commended entrants will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony on March 14 at The Pilgrims’ School.

All entries will be displayed around the school and the winners will be exhibited at Pilgrims’ Art show as well as at the Art in Nature Exhibition organised by the Cameron Bespolka Trust in May.

Cameron’s family erected a bench on St Catherine’s Hill where Cameron enjoyed bird watching.