THERE are less than three weeks left to enter to the School Build Challenge.

Teachers, pupils and parents have the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild and design an amazing outdoor makeover for their school.

The Dorset Echo has teamed up with construction company Leadbitter to offer this amazing prize to schools in the area.

The company, based in the South West is currently undertaking £35million-worth of work in Dorchester.

This includes the construction of luxury houses, a hotel, commercial space at the Brewery Square development and work at the Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre.

So if your school needs a new PE store, playground equipment, a decking area or you have something more adventurous in mind like a nature trail, sensory garden or wildlife conservation area in mind then we can make that dream a reality.

Dorset Echo editor Toby Granville said: “This is a great opportunity for schools, so get your entries in as soon as possible to be in with a chance of winning a fantastic project with thousands for your school.”

The top prize is construction work or equipment worth £3,000 with prizes of £2,000 and £1,000 for the runners-up.

The closing date for entries is Friday, June 10.

After all the entries have been collected a panel of judges will look through them before whittling the entrants down to the finalists before Dorset Echo readers decide the final three winning projects by a voucher collection system.

Regional director of Leadbitter, Dave Cook, said he was looking forward to seeing what ideas the schools come up with.

He said: “It’s definitely exciting to see what people have designed. The best thing that came out of the project is seeing the before and after transformation of the schools. “It’s great to see what they have got out of it. It gives us a great feeling to be able to help out.”

He added: “We will look at all the entries that come in.

“We can’t do things like refurbish the whole of a school, it has to be an outside project.

“It’s about encouraging children to be outside, and about the health benefits.

“So we look at what’s reasonable and shortlist them down to a good number and then we tell the schools that have made the shortlist and then they collect the vouchers printed in the paper.”

The competition is open to all primary, infant and junior schools in the Dorset Echo area.

Those wanting to be in with a chance to win should fill in the application form on this page.

You also need to tell us in no more than 200 words about your project, what it would involve and why you need it.