GENEROUS fundraisers hoping to brighten the days of poorly youngsters stuck in hospital twisted and twirled their way through the weekend.

Energetic children and their families gathered at Didcot's Willowbrook Leisure Centre to enjoy a day of fun and frolics to raise cash for charity Play2Give.

Leisure centre staff united with residents before digging deep into their pockets to help gather more than £530 towards the charity's £10,000 appeal for Oxford Children's Hospital.

The charity, founded by Didcot resident Andrew Baker, is marking its tenth anniversary by supporting the Headington hospital's mission to raise £2m this year.

Mr Baker said he was inspired to support the hospital's appeal during his charity's milestone year to thank medics who helped him battle a brain injury from birth.

The 28-year-old added: "We thought it would be nice to raise £10,000 for the Oxford Children's Hospital appeal. For me, it's a thank you back for the treatment I had from when I was born and through childhood.

"It was a really good day, it went well. Everyone loved it and it was much better than we had anticipated it to be. It was great to see so many people come down and take part."

Fundraisers at Saturday's family fun day braved a four-hour spinathon, leapt onto a bouncy castle, grabbed gifts at a raffle and indulged in sweet cakes, as well as enjoying a tug-of-war, obstacle course and zumba classes.

Mr Baker said he felt 'incredible' he was still raising cash for the county's medics 15 years after first deciding to support them as a schoolboy, before he launched his charity five years later.

In the past decade, his charity has gathered more than £52,000 to buy medical and play equipment for youngsters cared for at the hospital.

Mr Baker added: "The Oxford Children's Hospital is a fantastic facility. It's so great and colourful and it really makes a huge difference to the children when they come in with their families. The doctors are brilliant.

"Anything we can do to raise money for the children's hospital is really important because we fundraise for things the NHS can't provide."

The Oxford Children’s Hospital 10th Anniversary Appeal aims to raise £2m towards a new 62-bedroom Ronald McDonald House for parents to stay close to their poorly youngsters.

Plans for the four-storey facility, which will 248 beds, adding to the current 18-bedrooms on site, were approved in last July.

The appeal will help to fund other vital hospital equipment and will buy crucial bedside monitors for every child, which constantly check heart rate, blood pressure and temperature.

Mr Baker said the final numbers on visitors and cash raised at Saturday's fun day are still being totted up.

Cash will also go towards a new outdoor play area for the 30,000-plus children treated at the hospital each year.