PUPILS at Moor Park School raised more than £6506 for their favourite charity.

Sophie House, a centre caring for profoundly disabled people in Hereford, can now forge ahead with its new sensory unit, a suite of rooms for relaxation and stimulation, complete with state-of-the-art equipment. The new rooms will be equipped through the summer.

The Richards Castle school began its link with Sophie House in 2014 when its year four pupils performed ‘Christopher Columbus’ for residents, a short play with lots of songs based on their history topic "The Explorers".

As a direct result, the children’s school council placed Sophie House as a nominated charity in 2015. Their fundraising efforts included making cakes which they sold at break time; attending a Valentine’s Day supper and disco wearing pink and red; and, the most fruitful of all, doing a French challenge wearing red, white and blue including a sponsored vocabulary challenge.

Sarah Sharp-Smith, founder and trustee of Sophie House, said: "We are tremendously grateful to Moor Park for raising such a fabulous sum.

"I am particularly pleased as my connections with the school go back a long way. My daughter, who is now 29, went to Moor Park and had a fabulous time.

"All the money raised will go directly to our residents and we are really excited by the new sensory rooms.”

Jenny Morris, deputy head at Moor Park, said: “The decision to support Sophie House was entirely that of the children.

"We love supporting local charities and our new found link with Sophie House has proven to be richly rewarding both both parties. Long may it continue.”