A SCHOOL project aimed at breaking down barriers between generations through reading newspapers to pensioners has won five students the adventure of a lifetime.

The students from Chantry Middle School, Morpeth, Northumberland, were among several from across the region honoured for their work yesterday by Northumbria Water.

They will fly to Reykyavik, Iceland, for a week of river rafting and whale watching after winning the company's Square Mile 2000 project.

The competition grand final was held at the Stadium of Light, in Sunderland, yesterday.

The joint second prize was shared between three groups, who will all go to Kielder Water, to enjoy a range of outdoor activities.

St Aidan's 17th Hartlepool Scout Group was praised for cleaning up the Greatham Beck near the town's Fens estate, including the planting of 2,300 trees.

Scout leader Paul Hogg said: "When we started work in the beck there was no wildlife in the beck.

"Since the start of the project people have seen kingfishers and water voles and there are fish back in the beck."

A group of pupils from Sedgefield Comprehensive School, County Durham, looked at issues surrounding water and energy conservation.

Jennifer Mowat, a member of the Sedgefield Energy Group, said: "We changed all the tungsten light bulbs in the school and replaced them with energy saving bulbs.

"And we are saving the school 2,800 litres of water a week by having bricks in toilet water cisterns."

The Lumley Leaders, of Great Lumley, Chester-le-Street, shar-ed the prize for their work in providing an alternative to young people in their community.

They invited in youths vandalising their community centre and have run sporting activities and awards for them