STUDENTS at Carisbrooke College raised £500 on the last day of the school term, in December, for an Isle of Wight charity.

The Wight Brainy Bunch has called the donation 'incredibly important.'

On Friday December, 17, 100 students from across years seven to eleven, along with staff, completed a 2km Santa Dash from school to Carisbrooke Castle and back.

Students all paid £5 donation to The Wight Brainy Bunch to take part and were rewarded with Santa hats to wear and hot chocolates at the finish line.

Isle of Wight County Press: Carisbrooke College students ran 2km to raise money for the Island charity. Picture courtesy of Carisbrooke College.

Mike Peake, lead for behaviour and safety at Carisbrooke College, said: "The students were an absolute pleasure, and it was obvious to see how much they enjoyed themselves!

“I am really proud of how willing they always are to support local charities, and this is one that is close to many of our hearts."

A spokesperson from The Wight Brainy Bunch said: “The donation from Carisbrooke College is incredibly important.

“The last 18 months have been challenging for us as a small charity as fundraising events and opportunities have been limited.

“However, brain tumours continue to be diagnosed and affect Island families, and Covid itself has posed many problems for vulnerable patients such as ours, who need to travel to the mainland for treatment."

Isle of Wight County Press: Carisbrooke College students ran 2km to raise money for the Island charity. Picture courtesy of Carisbrooke College.

The charity said: “It was vital for us to be able to continue offering our same level of support to families throughout this time, and this has only been possible thanks to generous donations such as this one from Carisbrooke College.

“We are so grateful to them for their support and would like to thank all the teachers for organising such a fun event and to all the students for taking part."