10,000 thumbs up...

WELL done . . .10,000 reasons to smile

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

FUNDRAISING youngsters at a Shaw school have proved themselves charity champions ­- by raising more than £10,000 in a year.

It means St Joseph's RC Primary School have now raised a staggering £70,000 for good causes over the last seven years.

Deputy head Steve Hill completes a gruelling challenge each year to inspire his Year 6 class to raise thousands of pounds for charity. This year he completed the North Pole Marathon.

Money has been raised through sponsoring Mr Hill as well as cake sales, film nights, carol singing at Tesco and Asda, a sportsman's dinner, coffee mornings, raffles, a name the teddy competition, a charity car wash and lots of other fun events.

The £10,000 is going to several charities ­- with £3,000 to Dr Kershaw's Hospice and the rest split between the British Heart Foundation, MS Society, SANDS and SCBU. The school has also purchased a defibrillator.

And Year 3 classmates of Eva Clayton, from Moorside, raised £500 with a "Wear a Funny Hat Day" to support their friend and put a smile back on her face as she battles cancer.

The brave youngster has faced gruelling chemotherapy, losing her hair and spending numerous hours in hospital for treatment for a Wilms' tumour on her right kidney. A Mamma Mia night for mums added another £326 to the cause. The money raised has gone to Ward 84 at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and MacMillan Nurses.

Mr Hill said: "We'd like to thank everyone for their wonderful support and encouragement in helping us to raise this amazing total for such great charities. All the children, parents and colleagues at St. Joseph's along with family and friends have all worked so hard with so many fundraising activities and events which has been absolutely fantastic.

"As always a special mention for our wonderful children in Year 6, our teaching assistants Carole Morrison and Paul Killeen, parent Gary Self and our friends from the Halifax who have been absolute superstars throughout this past year of fundraising. Very proud of them all for their endless enthusiasm and energy.

"As always the children have thoroughly enjoyed their fundraising."