A group of primary school students have raised money for a charity that aims to help African children.

The year three students from the Our Lady’s Catholic School in Chesham Bois managed to raise £450 for the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) on Friday, October 4, where the seven and eight-year-olds walked 5km carrying water.

The children did the exercise on Harvest Fast Day, to learn what it is like for communities who are forced to walk long distances to get their drink.

Mark Holdsworth, who is the headteacher at the primary school said: “We had a frugal meal in school for Family Fast Day and we raised about £450. We would like to say thank you to St Joseph's who supplied the soup for free.”

After the walk, the rest of the school came together at lunchtime for a fundraising frugal soup lunch – where, rather than having a normal school lunch, all the pupils instead opted for a bowl of soup and gave what they would have spent on a normal lunch to charity.

Donations will help to install solar-powered water pumps in rural villages in the poorest parts of Africa.

CAFOD’s representative in Buckinghamshire, Deborah Purfield, said: “It is so wonderful that everyone at Our Lady's Catholic School chose to get involved in the appeal in such a creative and meaningful way. You really are an inspiration to your whole community.”