NEXT week sees the launch of the Daily Echo's School Newspaper Initiative

Six schools across the region: Woodlands Community School, Kings School Winchester, Priestlands School, Woolston School, Bridgemary Community School and Cantell School are getting the project off to an inspiring start with a visit by the Poet Laureate Andrew Motion who will give a talk in each about creativity and young people.

What is the Schools Newspaper Initiative? The Daily Echo is teaming up with local schools to help them produce their very own supplement, full of features, stories, poems and news all about their school which will be published in The Daily Echo.

The schools will be visited by creative writers and journalists who will help the pupils with their writing and design of the newspaper.

The project is coordinated by the Echo's Poet in Residence Polly Clark as part of her new residency with the Daily Echo.

Editor Ian Murray said, "This is a wonderful and unique opportunity for the Daily Echo to involve itself with local schools and give pupils a taste of what the world of newspapers

and creative writing is like.

"We are very excited about the whole project."

If you would like your school to be part of the on-going newspaper project, contact Daily Echo Editor Ian Murray, at The Daily Echo, Newspaper House, Test Lane, Redbridge, Southampton, SO16 9JX.