Hundreds of school children took part in a spectacular colour dash to raise money for mental health support.

Rossendale Schools Sports Partnership organised the fun event at Marl Pits, Rawtenstall, and four high schools and nine primary schools took part.

Manager Nathan Bibby said: “Schools were asked to get sponsorship and we raised hopefully around £2,000 to pay for a Young Mental Health Champions programme that we have been running in 15 primary schools, but we want to extend to all 37 primary and secondary schools in Rossendale.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Primary and Secondary pupils enjoy the Colour Dash held at Marl Pits, Rawtenstall, organised by

In the morning students from The Valley Leadership Academy, Whitworth Community High School and Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School took part along with primary pupils from St Bartholomew’s CE and Our Lady and St Anselm’s RC in Whitworth, St Anne’s Edgeside and Water Primary School.

In the afternoon students from All Saints Catholic High School joined primary pupils from St Mary’s CE, St James the Less RC and St Paul’s, Rawtenstall, Holy Trinity, Stacksteads and Britannia in Bacup.

Lancashire Telegraph: Primary and Secondary pupils enjoy the Colour Dash held at Marl Pits, Rawtenstall, organised by

Nathan said: “The day was all about the pupils having fun and enjoying themselves.”

A warm up routine was delivered by World Champion kickboxer Alexis Kyme, who has just finished her studies at Haslingden High School and is hoping to become a professional kickboxer by 21.

Pupils enjoyed the fun warm up to music which included tuck jumps, star jumps, jogging and sprinting on the spot and a very popular ‘Cha Cha Slide’.

Every student was given a sachet of powered paint as, after a 10-second countdown, they threw their paint into the air showering everyone in a cloud of colour.

The course was about a mile long and at different stages the pupils were showered with more paint and had to stop and complete boot camp-style workouts.