Four year 12 students from Queen Elizabeth's School, Wimborne Minster- Hannah Lee, Mary Martin, Freya Newman and Charlotte Richardson - have been celebrating some great success over the last few weeks. 

The students, all who are studying A Level Geography, entered a competition organised by the UK National Commission for UNESCO in partnership with the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.  The competition was to produce a piece of project work on their local World Heritage Site and a winner from each World Heritage Site in the UK was chosen.  The students from QE were delighted to win with their detailed and attractive display board about the landscape and environment of the Jurassic Coast.

As their prize the students were invited to join the other winners from across the UK and from Bermuda at the first UK World Heritage Site Youth Summit.  This event took place in Lyme Regis on 22^nd May 2009.  The students were able to meet with and work with other young people with a similar interest in and concern for the environment and for our World Heritage Sites.  The day started with a welcome from Professor Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General of Natural Sciences, UNESCO. 

The young people took part in a variety of different activities: producing newspaper articles on World Heritage Sites at risk, discussing their vision and ideas for the management of World Heritage Sites and also presenting their winning projects to the rest of the groups.  The ideas and issues raised by the young people have been recorded and will be used during the UNESCO WHS International Youth Forum meeting prior to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Meeting in Seville, Spain. It was a most enjoyable day and also beautiful weather.  The event took place at a Hotel in Lyme Regis whose grounds look across the magnificent Jurassic Coast, so it was very fitting for our students that the event should take place there.

The students were also delighted to be invited to meet Her Majesty The Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh during their recent visit to Dorset.  The students formed part of the reception party at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy and were introduced to Her Majesty and HRH and were able to share with them what they had achieved.  It was a truly memorable day and one that the students will remember for the rest of their lives.  It was a real privilege to be asked to represent their school and the young people of Dorset and again on a beautiful sunny day the Sailing Academy provided the perfect setting.

Queen Elizabeth's School

Wimborne Minster

Dorset    BH21 4DT

01202 885233