THE winners of a Cherwell District Council "write-a-rap" competition have performed their winning entries to a specially-invited audience.

The competition was organised to raise awareness of recycling.

More than 230 young people, aged between seven and 18, entered the competition by composing a recycling rap, poem, or song.

Entries came from 16 schools and some young people sent their own entries from home.

A panel chose the winners in two age groups, and both won £500 of computer vouchers for their schools.

Katie Perring, ten, from Harriers Ground Primary School, Banbury, won the category for seven- to 12-year-olds.

In the section for 13- to 18-year-olds, a team effort from Rachel Evans, Rebecca Washington, Sophie Proffitt, Reena Sodadasi, and Stephen Sodadasi, of Gosford Hill School in Kidlington, was judged the best.

Fox FM supported the campaign and featured the winning entries live on air. Presenter Adam Ball handed out cheques for £500 to the winners.

He said: "It is a good idea to get schools involved and make children aware of recycling at an early age. It will make a difference for the future."

Kieron Mallon, the council's executive member for the environment, said: "We had a really strong field and the judging panel had a tough job choosing the winners. It was great to give the young people the opportunity of performing their work to an invited audience."

Harriers teacher Julie Blyth said: "It was a wonderful project that fitted in perfectly with our curriculum and helped us look at recycling in depth.

"We do a lot of creative work at Harriers and being creative and having fun is important in learning."

The competition, funded by WRAP, the Banbury-based national Waste and Resources Action Programme, was Cherwell's latest initiative to encourage residents to recycle more and boost the district's recycling rates.

Government figures show Cherwell's recycling rate of 43 per cent is almost double the national average and the council is looking to increase the rate by finding new ways of boosting collection amounts.