MONEY raised by a sponsored read undertaken by pupils at a secondary school in St Austell has been used to buy books for a children’s hospice.

Students at Penrice Academy gathered in the school library for a two-hour sponsored read in support of Children's Hospice South West (CHSW).

The pupils raised £640 which has gone towards buying books to give to the babies, children and young people and their families who use the Little Harbour children’s hospice at Porthpean, St Austell.

A number of the top fundraisers from the school visited the hospice to drop off books, meet some of the children, families and staff, and look around the facilities.

CHSW area fundraiser Bethany Rudge said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to all the readers at Penrice, as well as Mrs Hatch and Mrs Hague who helped the school raise vital funds for CHSW.

“Every page turned brought them closer to making a real difference!”

School librarian Alison Hague said: “We are really proud of the group for fundraising for such a special place in the heart of our community.

“Our students were delighted to support the charity and were really looking forward to delivering the books.”

Children’s Hospice South West, which runs three hospices in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, was first registered with the Charity Commission in 1991 and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021.

The charity is dedicated to making the most of short and precious lives, providing the best possible hospice care for children living with life-limiting conditions and their families.

Little Harbour provides free support to babies, children and young people and their families 365 days a year, including respite, palliative care, end-of-life care and bereavement support. The hospice also offers resilience stays, as well as support in the families’ own homes.