Chapelford Village Primary School pupils were given the chance to see the difference their fundraising efforts can make, during a special visit to St Rocco’s Hospice. 

The children raised more than £6,000 in December by asking friends and family to sponsor them to take part in an Elf Run around the school grounds. 

The whole school community came together for the festive event, raising the highest amount ever collected by a school for St Rocco’s Hospice. 

School Councillors recently visited St Rocco’s to present the cheque and to learn more about the importance of fundraising for their community. 

During the visit, they were introduced to staff and shown many areas of the hospice, including private patient bedrooms, accommodation for families who don’t live locally, the art and creative room, treatment rooms for massage and holistic therapies, and the gardens. 

The children were amazed by the level of care patients receive and learned that 80% of the hospice’s income comes from fundraising events. 

It was a hands-on experience for the children to see how their efforts are directly helping the local community and a privilege for the school councillors.