A MUM has launched an appeal to buy books for children at Brampton Primary School.

Gemma Karim, 35, is hoping to raise £500 after starting an online justgiving.com fundraiser.

Recently she’s become a local independent books organiser for Usborne, a company which specialises in children’s publications.

But she said she would put aside her commission after finding that borrowed books had to be quarantined when pupils brought them back - in a bid to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

After recently launching the appeal, she has already raised about £130 towards the target.

The mum-of-seven, from Brampton, has three children at the school, on Sawmill Lane - daughter Bailey, 9, son Jensen, 7, and daughter Amara, 4 .

Gemma said: “I have three children in the school and when they came home they said they could only have so many books because when they took them back they had to be quarantined in a box for 48 hours, so I thought I would ask the headteacher.

“I would say the coronavirus has had an impact on education because of the time the children have taken off.”

She added that the school was likely to use them as part of its accredited reading programme.

Earlier this month, the headteacher of Brampton Primary School, Richard Clark, gave reassurance to parents after he was instructed to self-isolate by Cumbria’s public health authority.

In a letter to parents, Mr Clark explained: “Unfortunately, I am a contact of a family member who has tested positive late this afternoon.”

He added no pupils would need to self-isolate because “If I begin to show symptoms or test positive in the next 48 hours then only those that have been in contact with me for over 15 minutes will need to self-isolate.”

Anyone who would like to donate to the appeal go online to: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bpsbookfundraiser