PUPILS have raised more than £3,000 in memory of two members of staff at the school who died of cancer.

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School lost English additional language teacher Rachel Kay and special education co-ordinator Louise Robins to the disease last year.

Mrs Kay had lived with breast cancer for 11 years but died in August last year at the age of 50 and Mrs Robins, who suffered from neuroendocrine tumours, died in November at the age of 49.

Headteacher Sue Tomkys said more than £3,000 was raised for Cancer Research during their Race for Life, which saw pupils in all years run around the school for a total of five kilometres.

Mrs Tomkys, who has held the position for seven years, said: “It went really well and the children had a fantastic time.

“They were both very valued and loved members of staff so we wanted to raise money for them and the husband of Mrs Kay was also here as well, Mike Dennis.”

Pupil Nicholas Fitzgerald, seven, said: “I was running five kilometres and it was for Mrs Robbins and Mrs Kay.

“It was tiring and it was very hard.”

Fellow pupil Ricardo Branca added: “We have cooled off with a lot of water so we don’t get dehydrated.”