Students helping to wipe it out

Two Widnes students who entered United Utilities vlogging competition, to spread the word that wipes are bad news for loos, picked up £250 of Amazon vouchers and a £1,000 donation for the their school.

Laura and Hanna from Lunt’s Heath Primary School in Widnes scooped the winning price after almost 10,000 people voted for their favourite ‘Think before you flush’ vlog.

Rose Francis, United Utilities’ marketing and campaigns manager, said: “We received some wonderful and fantastic vlogs from young people right across the North West.

“As a company and industry we are always pushing the message out about the dangers of putting things like wipes down the toilet.  They just don’t disappear and dissolve.”

“They clump together and cause not only havoc to the sewers but also our environment.”

This was something not lost on Laura and Hanna, who said after picking up their prize:

“Everyone needs to think about what they flush down the toilet and what affect this can have on other people, yourself and the environment.”

“Wipes can negatively affect the environment and end up on our beaches, which is polluting our earth.”

During the Vlogstars Award Ceremony held at the company’s head office, pupils and teachers from Lunt’s Heath Primary School, Blessed Thomas Holford College, Ellesmere Park High School, All Hallows Catholic College and Millfield Science & Performing Arts College got to see all the shortlisted vlogs.

“All the students did a brilliant job and seeing the different ways the pupils got the ‘Think before you flush’ message across was absolutely amazing.  We’re looking forward to working with the winners and runners-up in the future,” added Rose.