The RIBA and Children North East organise the Sandcastle Challenge every year. Architects across the North East always give up their time free of charge to work with local schools in advance of the event to construct their designs, as well as on the day.

The partnership between the RIBA and Children North East, which started in the early 1990s has raised more than £70,000 for the charity to benefit children across the North East.

On Friday 4th July 2008 the sun shone brightly for the 14th Annual Sandcastle Challenge. Over 40 primary schools from all over the region joined up this year making a total of 1750 children teamed up with local architects, having a great time in the sand building structures around the theme of "A Trip to the Seaside".

The teams were fighting it out to win one of the five £200 school prizes sponsored by GB Building Solutions. The judges had a really difficult time this year making their decisions about who got the prizes and which professional was judged to be the winner of the Sandcastle Challenge Trophy but the list of winners is below and selection of photographs from the event can be seen in the gallery.

 

Winners of the 2008 Sandcastle Challenge:

Cotherstone Primary School, Barnard Castle working with Niven Architecture

Western Community Primary School, Wallsend working with Mott MacDonald

Canning Street Primary School, Newcastle working with Aura

Sedgefield Hardwick Primary School, Sedgefield working with Teesside University

Ryhope Primary School, Sunderland working with PlanIT Design