PUPILS from a Special Educational Needs school proudly presented a donation to Andover Carnival organisers after fundraising to save the festivities.

Mark Way School’s student council organised a dress down day to raise money for one of Andover’s biggest events of the year when it was under threat of cancellation earlier this year.

The children raised £62 on the day, which ran alongside its fundraising efforts for this year’s chosen charity Help for Heroes (H4H).

Mark Way administration officer Larna Kemp said: “We saw on Facebook about the carnival and we thought obviously we would try and do our bit.

“I think it is important for them developing their communication skills and their knowledge of what is going on locally.

“They are the next generation of fundraisers going to keep it going.”

“They picked H4H for charity this year but they saw the carnival as separate event they wanted to raise money for additionally. It is not a lot as we are a small school but if every school did it, we did our bit.”

The secondary school’s school council makes up five year groups with two representatives from each group.

Council members Phoebe Curtis, Finlay Trenfield, Robert Bickley and Dean Richards said they enjoy the carnival and they chose a dress down day because everyone likes them.

Andover Carnival chair Larna Burnley said: “I would just like to say a huge thank you to all the children in Mark Way that helped put in the effort that helped save Andover Carnival.

“It’s such a wonderful thing that they wanted to do that, and the carnival is so important the town that they wanted to raise money.”