PUPILS from a Blackburn school are setting up a support group for children at Derian House Children's Hospice, in a scheme which will be a first in East Lancashire.

The youngsters from Pleckgate High will run the group, which will aim to raise awareness into the work of the hospice.

Ian Minto, community fundraiser for Derian House, near Chorley, said he was excited about the prospect of the new project.

He said: "This is the first time a school has got so involved with Derian House. It's all about children working within the community for other children, kids for kids. I believe that fund-raising is a skill and my particular age group, around 50, are too out-dated and out-moded in our ideas. We need young people to come up with what they want to do.

"We've got to look to the future. I hope pupils will encourage the younger children in the school to continue the support group as they move through the school. It will give them good experience of what fundraising is all about, particularly when they become young parents and realise there are other families with babies who are terminally ill.

"We're hoping that the youngsters will decide what they want to do to make the group work. Once the group has been formed, the pupils could come along to the hospice and meet the staff, as well as some of the children."

Mr Minto added that other schools in East Lancashire were considering starting similar support groups.

Three hundred children are registered with Derian House from all over the North West.

Jennifer Colbert, senior teacher at Pleckgate High, said: "The school has long links with raising money for Derian House. The support group is very much a new thing and Derian House asked us if we would like to try it and see how it worked. We're looking forward to getting more involved, as our pupils are very keen about doing more charity work."

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