BRIGHT colours have helped youngsters at The Compass School raise more than £2,000 for charity.

Children, parents and staff at the Haddington school held a Rainbow Fun Day earlier this month in aid of CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland).

Everyone who took part wore as many bright colours as they could find at home, and sent in photographs to the school, where they were arranged into an impressive gallery of colour.

At the same time, families were asked to make a donation in support of the charity, which provides the only hospice care for children with life-shortening conditions across Scotland.

Mark Becher, headteacher at the West Road school, thanked everyone for taking part.

He said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support that has been provided to this initiative.

“At this time of crisis, the rainbow has become a symbol of hope and of kindness.

“We felt that to take this theme and to build a fun activity around it in which everyone could become involved and, at the same time, raise essential funds for CHAS would be a great way of bringing the school community ‘together’, even though we are all confined to our homes just now.

“We have been truly amazed by the generosity of our families and friends and are so pleased that we have been able to raise such a significant amount for such a worthy and important cause.”

With the spread of Covid-19, CHAS is having to overcome additional challenges to provide its usual services in a bid to ensure families are not even more isolated. CHAS is working closely with the NHS to continue to provide end of life care in both Rachel House and Robin House; it is also launching the world’s first virtual children’s hospice to ensure it can continue to support families who are self-isolating as well as keep them and CHAS staff as safe as possible.