TWELVE pupils from schools including two in Ilkley have painted pictures that will now be displayed in thousands of homes and businesses throughout the region after being selected to feature in a corporate calendar.

Hundreds of school pupils from Highfield Prep School in Harrogate and Eldwick Primary School in Bingley, as well as Westville House School and Sacred Heart Catholic Primary, which are both in Ilkley, took part in the annual competition run by estate agent Dacre, Son & Hartley.

The theme for the 2016 calendar is ‘Yorkshire Wildlife’ and each page depicts the vast diversity of wildlife that can be found within the county. All 12 winners were presented with an artists’ hamper worth £25, with an additional £25 paid to their school’s art department.

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacre Son & Hartley, said: “We’ve been producing a corporate calendar for 19 years and we always strive to make it stand out from the crowd. Encouraging local school pupils to put their creativity to the test, as part of its design, means it’s always fresh, interesting and well-received by our clients.

“All the paintings we received were of an exceptional standard, so selecting the 12 winners was a tough task, but all the chosen pictures are very eye-catching and vibrant and we’re absolutely delighted with the finished calendar.”