PUPILS from a Wirral junior school have raised more than £1,200 for Clatterbridge Hospital's child development centre.

The money, raised by pupils from Greasby Junior School and their families, has been used to improve the facility's play equipment.

Run by Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the CDC is for children who have special needs or who have been diagnosed with some form of developmental delay, due to conditions such as Down's syndrome, autism or birth trauma.

During a visit to the centre last week, headteacher Adrian Martin, accompanied by School Council representatives Molly, Ben and Ellena saw how their fundraising efforts had made a difference to children using the centre.

Mr Martin said: "Every year the school holds a charity event that involves our staff, pupils and parents working together to raise funds in support of a local children's charity.

"One of the Greasby Junior School staff recommended that we fundraise on behalf of the CDC, so that additional resources could be purchased to benefit the care and support of children, such as her own son who has autism.

"During our charity event, the Year Six pupils bought prizes and spent time creating a series of games that they subsequently set up in our assembly hall.

"We then opened up the hall and allowed the rest of the school to come and pay to play.

"In addition, all our pupils were invited to make and sell cakes on the playground, with all the proceeds going towards the CDC."

Amanda Farrell, the Trust's associate director of operations for women and children's services, said: "We are very grateful to all the pupils at Greasby Junior School and to Mr Martin for their generous support.

"The funds that they have raised will help to significantly improve the play equipment at the Centre and this will make a big difference to the children who attend each week."

Mr Martin added: "As well as the charitable aspect, our pupils learnt a lot from this project such as planning, teamwork, pricing and consideration of others.

"They are very selfless and caring and we are very proud of them all."