Caring Oxenhope Primary pupils put their best foot forward to help elderly people keep warm this winter.

Year five youngsters donned Christmas hats for a sponsored mile-long fun run in aid of Age UK. The event raised more than £100 to boost the charity’s Spread the Warmth campaign.

Twenty-eight pupils took part in the run, which covered 13 laps around the school playground.

“It went very well and all the children enjoyed it,” said deputy headteacher John Parkin.

“Some of the pupils even continued running to complete more than a mile.”

He said the youngsters had looked at the journey to Bethlehem that Mary and Joseph took, and discussed caring for others at this time of year.

“They were inspired by a story of a war veteran who had no money for heating and died in his own home from the cold,” Mr Parkin added.

“They researched how they could help, also thinking about a TV campaign they had seen by Innocent Smoothie, and found the charity Age UK and its Spread the Warmth campaign.”

The children then wrote to friends and family seeking sponsorship for the fun run. And they took home bags to collect items for Age UK.

“I am extremely proud of the way the children took to the idea of caring for others, and have raised money and brought in collection bags to make a real difference", added Mr Parkin.