NI CHILDREN’S BOOKS SERIES THE WEATHERBIES LAUNCH ALL-IRELAND SCHOOLS COMPETITION

To highlight World Earth Day on April 22^nd, Maghera, Northern Ireland-based author Yvonne Fleming and her community of loveable, weather-themed characters of the children's book series The Weatherbies have teamed up with Eco-Schools NI and with support from COGG to launch a fun and exciting new competition for nursery and primary school pupils throughout the island of Ireland. Pupils are being tasked with the opportunity to produce an original ‘Big Eco Song’ created from their school’s Eco-Code and featuring one or more of The Weatherbies characters, offering the winners a professional studio quality recording of them performing the song and a platform through The Weatherbies channels to highlight their ongoing commitment towards helping to create a sustainable future for our environment.

The Weatherbies ambassador, meteorologist Cecilia Daly and Voice UK winner, Andrea Begley will join the team of judges, scoring 50% of the final score, judging each song based on the creativity and originality of the songwriting and the performance, with the final 50% of the scoring coming from a public vote.

Cecilia Daly (The Weatherbies Ambassador, meteorologist and weather forecaster), said:

‘One of my favourite parts of my job is visiting primary schools and talking all things weather. It’s a challenge though breaking complex meteorological theories down into bitesize chunks of fun learning. The kids are like sponges though .. they just suck it all up and they are so savvy re our changing climate and how we as humans have responsibilities for our future. This competition is a wonderful, fun way for the children to focus on green acts ahead of Earth Day.’

Yvonne Flemming said;

"I am so excited to launch our eco-friendly song competition. Children and schools deserve recognition for their role in helping create a sustainable future for our environment. I hope this competition gives them an opportunity to showcase their knowledge and understanding of the world around us, as well as their creative song writing talents. I can’t wait to hear the songs entered and I wish everyone the best of luck"

 
Charlene McKeown, who manages the Eco-Schools NI programme for environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said;

“At Eco-Schools NI, we love to see schools bring their environmental commitments to life in creative ways. That’s why we’re thrilled to join our Early-Years partners, The Weatherbies, for this musical competition centered around the Eco-Code, a school’s mission statement for environmental action created by the students themselves. It’s a fantastic opportunity for pupils and teachers to showcase their pledges, hard work, and to take pride in their green achievements. We hope everyone has fun while learning about the things we can do in our school communities to make a difference for the environment.” 

An Eco-Code is a school's mission statement about its values and commitment towards improving its environmental performance (learn how to create one here). 

*Competition closes on 4th April.

Winners will be announced on Earth Day, 22nd April

·       Songs should be 1-2 minutes long and be original work created by the students.

·       Songs should be written around the school Eco-Code (which may be created for this competition) and feature at least one of The Weatherbies characters.

·       Songs can be written in English or as Gaeilge.

·       Songs should be accompanied by original artwork.

·       Each school may submit one song per class, with no limit on the number of class entries per school.

·       For each language category (English and Irish), one nursery or primary school in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic of Ireland will be chosen via a public vote and a professional panel, including independent judges.

·       The Weatherbies music team will visit the schools in May to record their songs.

·       Songs and artwork must be age-appropriate and not contain any offensive content or personal information that could cause embarrassment (please don’t include any teacher’s name, for example!)

·       The school retains the copyright of their work - so you can use it for a school fundraiser or promotion!

Does this sound like fun? We think so! Send your details on the entry form and a link will be sent to upload your song and artwork when  ready, plus notifications when deadlines are approaching.

Enter the competition here

All entries must be submitted by 4th April 2025.

Full terms & conditions are available here.