Children from Helston will be competing against school pupils from across the country in a national event, in an attempt to win a trip to South Africa and £1,000 in cash.

The children will be competing in the National Bloodhound Project’s Race for the Line Model Rocket Car Competition, at Santa Pod Raceway, Bedfordshire, on Thursday, June 29.

The winners will get an all-inclusive trip to South Africa to spend a week with the Bloodhound race team, alongside the cash prize.

The Bloodhound Project is using a 1,000mph world land speed record attempt to inspire the next generation to enjoy, explore and get involved in science, technology, engineering, and maths.

The children from Helston will be part of 12 Cornish pupils taking part in the event, after competing against 43 other school teams in the regional finals held at RAF St Mawgan in Newquay, on April 27.

Rachel Delourme, STEM advisor from Cornwall Council Education Business Partnership, said: “We started with more than 4,000 local children from over 100 schools and the final is a culmination of a year of hard work.

“The children will all work together to design and build their own model rocket cars made from a block of foam, four wheels, a ruler, pencil and sandpaper.

“They must stick to strict guidelines with absolutely no help from any adult.

“Every issue they have, they need to solve themselves. It is a real test of their teamwork, skills and knowledge.

‘This opportunity has enabled all children from a variety of schools, backgrounds, level of ability and interest in STEM subjects to do something practical and learn about possible engineering career opportunities.

“For some, it has opened up a world of possibilities they didn’t know existed.

“Inspiring our young engineers of the future is a key component of the Cornwall careers offer and it was fantastic to see so many young people show enthusiasm for STEM.”