Pupils and staff at Buxton school run over 200 miles for new play equipment

More than 200 miles have been clocked up by pupils at Fairfield Infant and Nursery School with almost £1,500 raised for new equipment for the playground.

Laura Hoyle helped organise the event.

She said: “I went to this school and my mum works there now so I know how wonderful it is and just wanted to do something to give back to them.”Laura, from Fairfield, used the three volunteering days she gets given from her employer to help the sports co-ordinator at the school organise the run which took place at the end of November.

She said: “We got the council in to mark out the playground with their road paint and it was great seeing the children get excited about running and wanting to take on the challenge.”The infant pupils ran 16 laps of the playground and those in nursery ran eight laps or half a mile.

Laura said: “It is a challenge - a mile is a lot and especially for little legs but they all did so well.”

There are 198 students in the infants and counting the nursery pupils too and the staff which also took part more than 200 miles was completed to raise money for new playground activities.

The school also had a stall on Buxton Market with a tombola to boost funds.

Laura said: “Between the two events we raised £1,480 which is amazing and I’m so proud of everyone.”

The money will be going towards a new Trim Trail which is where an adventure playground meets an assault course.

The trim trail costs around £8,000 and although there is still a while to go before the school reaches the target, Laura says the children will be continuing to raise funds in the coming months.

She added: "Getting the children outside and running was great for their mental health as will playing on the new equipment when all the money is raised.

“Thank you to the children, the sponsors and all the businesses who donated prizes for the raffle too.”

Sponsor money is still being taken and can be dropped off at the school office until Friday December, 3.

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