DEDICATED students at a high school in Warrington have raised nearly £5,000 for a cause close to their hearts.

Each year at Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, year 11 pupils select a charity they would like to fundraise for at Christmas.

This year, the chosen charity was St Rocco’s Hospice.

The funds, which are a record-breaking amount for the school, were raised in a number of different ways over the Christmas period.

The annual ‘light up a life’ advent service was held as well as Christmas Markets, an after school talent show organised by Nanayaa, sporting events, and a Christmas jumper day.

One pupil, Jackson, also worked with Warrington Wolves to organise a charity raffle which even included a signed rugby shirt.

But what really boosted the fundraising total was the efforts of Ollie which ran a marathon distance over the festive period.

He received £2,600 in donations for this alone.

“I was hoping to raise about £200,” Ollie said.

“When I saw that the local community had boosted the total to £2,600, I couldn’t believe it.

"St Rocco’s is really important to me and my family and a lot of my friends, so we wanted to do something to really make a difference to the hospice.”

The team from the hospice paid a visit to the school to collect the cheque from the students.

They said: “With deep gratitude from St Rocco’s, we extend heartfelt thanks to the exceptional head students of Cardinal Newman and the entire school community for its extraordinary commitment to organising impactful events and challenges over Christmas.

“By choosing to fundraise for St Rocco's Hospice in memory of Frank Hawley and all those who have experienced hospice care, these dedicated students embody the compassionate values fostered by their Catholic faith.

“Their unwavering efforts engaged their school community and reflected the spirit of charity, leaving a lasting impact supporting St Rocco's to care for patients and their families with life-limiting illnesses ."