A BRADFORD primary school has called on the city’s residents to back its quest to win top prize in a nationwide competition – and with it £5,000.

The Academy at St James, in Allerton, is one of 12 finalists from around the UK going before a public vote in the Selco Stars competition, which attracted hundreds of entries.

Leading builders merchants Selco Builders Warehouse – which has a branch in Bradford on Tong Street - has organised the competition, designed to support charities and community groups in their Covid-19 recovery.

A team of Selco judges selected a dozen causes to receive £500 worth of building materials and now the shortlisted groups will be aiming to top a vote and land a cash windfall.

A second prize of £1,250 is also available to mark Selco’s 125th anniversary.

To vote for The Academy at St James, go to selcobw.com/selcostars

The Academy at St James is in the process of building the wooden classroom within its grounds, thanks to the expertise of parent Chris Wardman, who was supported by his employer, Sanctuary, to offer his skills and time through their employee volunteering scheme.

Chris Tolson, headteacher at the school, said: “We are big on Forest School and we’re keen to build on our offering.

“This outdoor classroom will help us to deliver exciting and engaging lessons for our pupils for years to come, giving them the opportunities that they deserve.

“The £500 has helped us to buy the decking and the roofing.

“It’s exciting to be in the Selco Stars final. To win £5,000 or £1,250 would make such a difference and would allow us to work on the areas around the new building to make it even better.”

Carine Jessamine, marketing director at Selco, added: “We were inundated with applicants from a host of good causes with outstanding credentials so The Academy at St James have done extremely well to be shortlisted.

“It does excellent work in the community and hopefully the whole of Bradford will get behind the school in its quest to win an amount of money which would make a huge difference to the work it does.”

With hundreds of trade brands always in stock, Selco’s 70 UK branches are firmly focused on helping tradespeople complete their jobs as quickly and effectively as possible.

As well as offering trade services, Selco also has a strong digital presence including Click & Deliver, a Click & Collect service and a new website.