KIND-HEARTED Fordingbridge children raised a whopping £4,285 in support of a fellow classmate suffering from a rare form of cancer.

Pupils at Fordingbridge Junior School handed over a cheque to the Piam Brown Ward at Southampton General Hospital after holding a hat and welly walk.

They were inspired to raise the money by fellow pupil Daniel West, nine, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy at the ward.

Daniel's mum Kayte said: "My husband and I are overwhelmed by the support the children have given Daniel. It is an outstanding amount of money - far more than we could have ever imagined.

"The Piam Brown ward, over the last seven months has become our second home.

"The money raised will not just benefit us but will benefit the hundreds of other families coming through the unit every year."

Daniel was diagnosed with a rare high grade soft tissue sarcoma of the kidney when he was just eight-years-old.

Kayte praised the support the family has received from the community, the school and staff at the ward for their "amazing care".

She added: "We are just so grateful to Piam Brown, they are an amazing group of people and have such a lovely manner with the children and are very supportive of the families. The staff go out of there way to make sure the children are happy and the high standard of nursing care goes beyond expection."

On the day of the walk, which took place in February, the children including Daniel braved torrential rain — walking and running as many laps around the field as they could.

Headteacher Kim Robertson said: "I am so proud of the children and hugely thankful to the families who sponsored them.

"They were doing it for Daniel and the wider community, and people in need."

She said there was "fantastic community spirit on the day".

Piam Brown charity co-ordinator Rachel Funnell said: “Every donation we receive goes towards improving the quality of life for our young cancer patients and their families.

"We hope to upgrade the kitchen this year and the children were pleased to see where their donation may be spent. This area is crucial for those who are in our care for long periods of time.

"All the staff and families in the unit appreciate the donations we receive as it enables us to provide that little extra comfort and cheer during very long and uncomfortable treatment period. It really does make a difference to the families currently in our care.”