By Duncan Bick

Last updated at 12:28, Wednesday, 20 February 2013

Pupils ditched their uniforms to help an athlete fulfil a dream.

Colette Doran, centre, with pupils

Youngsters at Richard Rose Morton Academy in Carlisle are supporting Colette Doran in her bid to attend the Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria, this summer.

On non-uniform day pupils paid to turn up at classes in their everyday clothes, which raised £480 for the javelin thrower.

Colette was delighted with their efforts.

“It will help me to go over there and compete,” she said.

Colette, 29, is partially deaf and has been competing in the javelin since her school days. She has represented Britain at the European Deaf Games, taking silver.

She attended Morton School, the academy’s predecessor.

Her younger sister, Ellie-Jo, is currently a pupil in the academy.

Tracy Roberts, the school events and administration coordinator, explained that the school has a very strict policy when it comes to uniform.

A day without it was seen as the ideal way to support Colette.

“It was the quickest way to raise money, an easy thing to organise,” she said.

“We never normally have non-uniform days but this was for a good cause.”

Colette has visited the school in the past with Lee Doran, her brother, who is also a javelin thrower, and his girlfriend Bethany Woodward, who won a silver and bronze at the London Paralympics track races, which she showed off to the pupils.

Several of the pupils who had taken part in the non-uniform day told the News & Star how much they enjoyed the event.

Caitlin Singleton, 13, of Belle Vue, said: “It was just something different, and it was fun. It is really good that it is going to a good cause.”

Bethany McLeod, 13, of Raffles, added: “I liked wearing my own clothes.”

Toby Bewley, 11, of Newdale, commented: “I enjoyed being able to not need to dress up, you didn’t have to worry about whether your tie was good enough.”

First published at 11:42, Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk