OXFORDSHIRE's very own OSCA ceremony was hosted at County Hall on Thursday night to honour the best of the county's green projects.

And there was no doubting that the county's school children emerged as the real stars, sharing out thousands of pounds for their efforts to make the county a cleaner and better place.

When it came to conserving water, school children enjoyed a clean sweep of success with the first water efficiency prize worth £1,000 going to Hagbourne Primary school for its global water project.

Following a project with a school in Uganda covering the importance of water, the school embarked on major water-saving measures, including systems to collect water off school roofs.

St Barnabas Primary school, Jericho, and New Hinksey Primary school, both won cash for their water-saving projects. Thames Water sponsored the water efficiency award.

Schools, community groups and businesses ensured a bumper crop of entries for the 2006 OSCAs (the Oxfordshire Sustainability & Conservation Awards).

And for the first time, a Community Champion Award was presented to recognise the work of local volunteers who had made a real difference in their local area.

The award was shared by Ruth Conway and John Brucker. Ms Conway played a leading part in a project at St Mary and St John church in East Oxford, where a dark and overgrown church yard has been transformed into a wild life conservation area.

Mr Brucker was involved in an equally demanding scheme at St Mary's Church in Kidlington, where an overgrown piece of land, bought by the parish council, has become an important local wildlife facility.

The Canalside Environment Group, formed by a group of north Oxford residents to promote sustainable lifestyles, won the £1,000 top prize in the Waste Minimisation Category.

Formed by mother of two Susie Small and husband Stuart, the project involves residents in hundreds of new homes in recycling.

The county's premier environmental awards were once again being jointly organised by The Oxford Times and Oxfordshire County Council, with prize money supplied by Didcot Power Station.

The chairman of the county council, Councillor Lesley Legge presented the awards, alongside Richard Llewellyn, of Didcot B Power Station and Derek Holmes, editor of The Oxford Times.

Mrs Legge said: "Through the efforts and successes of those taking part, the OSCAs continue to be a way of inspiring people. The projects make an impact in the county in so many ways."

Derek Holmes, the editor of The Oxford Times, said: "It is fantastic to think that these are the eleventh OSCA awards. It shows how relevant OSCAs have been and how relevant they remain today. The impressive number of children taking part shows that the message about sustainability is getting through to the young."

For all the pictures from last night see our gallery.

The 2006 OSCA winners (with the prize money shown) are:

Biodiversity & grounds development

First Prize joint winners:Sustainable Wallingford Fir Tree garden project (£500) and Hurst Water Meadow Project (£500).

Runners-up: SS Mary and John Primary school grounds project (£200); Carswell Community Primary school grounds project (£200); and 'Wildkeys' handheld wildlife identification device (Oxford Brookes University).

Highly Commended: West Oxford Primary school pond project; Kingston Bagpuize Green Trust grounds project; RAF Benson Primary school grounds project; Eynsham Primary school grounds project.

Energy efficiency & renewables

First Prize: Blewbury Energy Initiative (£1000).

Runner-up:Tetsworth School Energy Project (£250).

Runner-up certificates: Goodwoods recycling for energy scheme; Isis Accord biofuel vehicle; Oxford Brookes partnership carshare scheme.

Waste minimisation

First Prize: Canalside Environment Group (£1000).

Runners-up: Didcot Girls school waste reuse project (£200); West Kidlington Primary school waste reduction project (£150); BMW Group Plant Oxford, waste minimisation project (£50 donated to the Pathways project, Blackbird Leys).

Highly commended: Great Milton Primary school waste reduction project; Bishop Loveday primary school waste reuse project; Bicester Community College waste recycling project.

Water efficiency (award sponsored by Thames Water)

First Prize: Hagbourne Primary school global water project (£1000)

Runner-up: St Barnabas Primary school water saving project (£200); New Hinksey Primary school water saving project (£150).

Highly commended: Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre (BBOWT) water mural project.

Community champion award

First prize joint winners: Ruth Conway (SS Mary & John Churchyard Project) and John Brucker (conservation work, Cherwell district area).

Runners-up: Colin Savage and Norman Ward (Tuckwell's Ltd) and John Richards (Blewbury Energy Initiative).