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“It’s a charity close to our hearts – it was a really special and emotional day.”

A Peterborough infant school has raised over £4,000 for charity by cancelling its sports day to run this year’s Cancer Research UK Schools Race for Life – after two members of staff were diagnosed with breast cancer in the last year.

All 138 children, aged four to seven, at Yaxley Infant School ran two laps of the recreation ground behind the school on July 7, finishing the 1km run together for Cancer Research UK.

Headteacher Donna Edson described the charity – which is the world’s largest cancer research organisation – as one which is “close to our hearts.”

Yaxley Infant School have raised over £4,000 for Cancer Research UK

“Instead of doing a traditional sports day this year I decided we would take part in the Schools Race for Life,” she said.

"Two of our members of staff were both diagnosed with breast cancer in the last year and have undergone treatment. Both are back with us now – but sadly we previously lost a teacher to Leukemia.

"The children understand charity work and that there are people who need help.

"It seemed right to support the charity when they knew why these adults had been off from school and not with us.”

Yaxley Infant School's Cancer Research UK Schools Race for Life

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It was the first time that the school had taken part in the Schools Race for Life since 2019.

"For such a small community of only 138 children to raise over £4,000 is just phenomenal,” Donna said.

"It’s a massive achievement and we’re all incredibly proud. The children shone and smiled all the way round.

"We worked with the children a lot before we did the race. We told them it’s a team effort and that although it’s called the Race for Life it was important that everybody finished.

"We had some golden moments. Lots of the older Year 2 children ran with the younger children, spurring and cheering them on. We have a student in Year 2 with additional needs, who was struggling at the final stretch, and the Year 2s turned around and ran back for him, before crossing the finishing line with him.

"It was really special and emotional day. The children totally embraced the concept that they all had to finish together.”

You can donate to Yaxley Infant School’s Cancer Research UK Schools Race for Life donations page.

Peterborough infant school raises over £4,000 for charity after two teachers diagnosed with breast cancer