A PRIMARY school in Thornbury raised hundreds of pounds for a charity at a special dress-up day on Friday, February 6.

All of the school’s pupils got to dress up in red after fellow pupil, 10-year-old Luke Hall, arranged an event to help raise valuable funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

After sending a letter to the school’s headteacher Karl Joyce the event was arranged and the school was paid a special visit by Mr Heart who was given a very warm welcome.

Mr Joyce said: “As a school we first supported the BHF last year with our big bag collection of unwanted items to be sold for the charity.

“Then a few months ago Luke wrote a really heart warming letter asking if the school could support the ‘Wear it. Beat it’ campaign. I had absolutely no hesitation in agreeing to support this and the day came round so quickly.

“Everyone dressed up in red, including all of the staff and gave a donation for the privilege of doing so. The day was spent with the children finding out about the BHF and what they did.

“We learnt about other children who had had heart surgery and the research that is being done up and down the country. We have two other children who have had heart surgery in school, with one as recently as last term.”

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the visit of Mr Heart who joined in the school assembly, gave out stickers and told the children about how they spend the money that has been raised.

Inspired by the day, the children have asked whether they could bring in old, unwanted toys which they will donate to the BHF shop in Thornbury so they can raise even more money for the charity.

Louise Parkes, fundraising director at the BHF, said “A huge thanks to Luke and St. Mary’s school for their red-themed fundraising efforts. It has been fantastic to witness the UK rallying together and turning red in the fight against heart and circulatory disease.

“All money raised from Wear it. Beat it. will help us truly make a massive difference to the millions of people living with these conditions.”

For more information about Wear it. Beat it. visit bhf.org.uk/red