A group of children from a village near Penrith have raised more than £2,000 for a bereavement charity by staying active in May.

The children from Stainton and the surrounding areas have raised a total of £2,707 for Child Bereavement UK in Penrith by running, cycling, scooting or walking a mile a day.

The idea for ‘A Mile A Day in May’ came from Anna Blackwell, mum to Katie aged 8, Oliver aged 5 and Ella, aged 2.

She explained: "“I realised that, although my children are lucky in many ways and have been pretty sheltered from coronavirus, the lockdown was still having an effect on them.

“It made me think that the impact must be significant for bereaved children.

"We decided we really wanted to raise money for a local charity which supports children’s mental health. We knew that due to coronavirus there were going to be many families and children in Cumbria affected by bereavement, which is why we chose Child Bereavement UK.”

The Blackwell family invited school friends from Stainton C of E Primary School to join them, and in total 39 children took part, ranging in age from 23 months to 10-years-old.

“Other parents regularly told me that they were so pleased the fundraiser started as it gave them and their children a focus during lockdown,” continued Mrs Blackwell. “It also made the children aware that there are others less fortunate and raising funds for Child Bereavement UK was a bonus.”

For support, information or to make a donation to Child Bereavement UK, go to: www.childbereavementuk.org