A group of teenagers from Kent are counting down on a two-year challenge to send a rocket into the stratosphere.

The five boys, who go to Sutton Valence School in Maidstone, have taken on the task after signing up to Crest Awards, a scheme run by the British Science Association.

Kristy Stanley, mum of Zach, says that the group - who call themselves 'The Rogue Five' - took on the task last month.

She said: "The boys were first approached by school to enter the awards because they all have a heavy interest in science and physics.

"It turned out that the five of them really wanted to do it and decided on a project of sending a rocket into the edge of the stratosphere - which is quite a big ambition!"

The Crest Awards is a nationally led scheme by the British Science Association for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

It aims to inspire a new generation of children aged five to 19-years-old, to think and behave like scientists and engineers, through their own work.

The awards have been running since 1986 and sees tens of thousands of young people taking part each year.

Zachary Stanley-David, Alexander Edward-Mathews, Ollie Walker, George Slater and Angus Brown have been collecting donations on their GoFundMe page to help them kickstart their project.

Kristy added: "They have done really well in raising some sponsorship to be able to begin planning their prototypes.

"It's amazing just how much enthusiasm they have been showing, and we are absolutely astounded by the amount of people that have donated.

"The boys have literally been going around, knocking on people's doors and approaching dog walkers to tell them about what they are doing.

"They have raised more than £1,000 so far - and that was in the space of a week!"

The group have chosen to take on the Silver Crest Award of Science, which is typically designed to stretch students.

It is a long-term, in-depth project, which the boys predict will take two years to complete.

Kristy, 39, from Milstead, added: "By the time they actually come to launch the rocket, they will be starting their A-levels.

"I have to say I certainly didn't have that dedication at the age of 14.

"They have started to post videos on YouTube of their journey and will do throughout the process, so people that are interested can see how they are getting on.

"Obviously lockdown impacted everybody, but certainly the boys' interaction was primarily online gaming, so I think this has brought them together in both a social and physical way."

Zach, Kristy's son, has always been passionate about engineering from a young age.

She said: "He eventually wants to work for NASA - that's the big dream.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up doing it, because he is so focused and if he really enjoys something, he just does it.

"Zach has always wanted to be an astronaut, and it has been like that for a really long time, ever since he was little."

One of the other boys working on the project, Oliver Walker, said: "I have always wanted to reach for the stars.

"When I moved to my new school, I met some very kind people with the same interests as me.

"The mechanics of a rocket engine has intrigued me for years, as well as space flight.

"Five of us have decided to attempt to build a rocket and launch it to the start of the stratosphere, but we do have a slight problem.

"The cost of the lab is on the expensive side, and as we are a group of 13 to 14-year-olds, we cannot get jobs to earn the amount we need in a sufficient amount of time."

He added: "We hope to raise enough for a 3D printer before the summer holidays to start working on our first prototype.

"I have always wanted to reach for the stars..."

"We expect it will take approximately two years of research, construction, and fun until we get the finished product."

James Thomas, head teacher at Sutton Valence School, said: "I am so pleased and impressed with the initiative shown by these students.

"It shows once again how Sutton Valence students go above and beyond our expectations, and in this particular example their aspirations are ‘out of this world’.

"We really look forward to seeing the end product and sharing it with the community."

So far the boys have raised £1,145 of their £2,000 goal.

The money will go towards different prototypes of rockets that they will build and test themselves.

You can donate to their GoFundMe page here.