Youngsters, parents and teachers at a Calne school are helping to make life better for children with special needs.

St Margaret’s Preparatory School has chosen the Swindon centre of the charity Hop, Skip and Jump as its charity of the year.

Its first fundraiser has already raised more than £1,500 to help provide respite care for children and young adults and give parents and carers some time off.

A fair with a red and green theme that included a treasure hunt, penguin skittles and guessing the number of snowballs in a chimney proved to be a great start to the fundraising.

Head Karen Cordon said: “We are supporting Hop, Skip and Jump as they provide much-needed time off for parents and carers, allowing them to continue their careers, spend time with their other children and attend to other responsibilities.”

The charity, which receives no council funding, has three centres in Swindon, Bristol and Cheltenham. It was started 30 years ago by Clarissa Mitchell. She was motivated to do something after a conversation with a friend whose daughter was paralysed by polio at the age of 12 and her experience of looking after a child with a disability.

A spokesman for the Swindon centre said: “Fundraising is a vital part of the work of Hop Skip and Jump. As an entirely not-for- profit organisation and receiving no local government funding, we rely 100 per cent on donations and grants.”