SCHOOLCHILDREN have been preparing to send their mascot bear into space.

Youngsters from Willersey CE Primary School will send the bear, called Wills, into space in a balloon.

The event has been planned to coincide with the children’s Space topic and the children will be able to see live video and photographs from Wills’s epic journey as he floats more than 20 miles above the earth.

The children have begun the countdown in science lessons as they discuss the physics of the launch and in English, they have been speculating about Wills’s forthcoming adventures.

The children are looking forward to seeing the pictures of different places and discovering how far Wills manages to travels as well as keen to know what the earth looks like from space.

Wills was specially hand-made for Willersey Primary School by Ted Blogs in Broadway.

Made from 100 per cent pure Portland wool from nearby Armscote Manor, where this ancient local breed of sheep are bred, he is a truly local bear.

The launch takes place on Thursday, May 25 at 11am at Willersey Recreation Ground and anyone is welcome to attend the occasion.