Pupils rattled tins outside an Oxford supermarket to buy presents for children who will have to spend Christmas at the city's children's hospital.

Youngsters from Bartholomew School in Eynsham gathered outside Sainsbury's at Heyford Hill on Saturday in a bid to raise £500 to lift the spirits of children forced to spend this Christmas away from their homes.

The scheme was the brainchild of Bev Green, a student support worker at the school.

She found out about the children's hospital because she is the godmother of Oliver Lay, two, who has heart problems.

When Oliver's mother, Helen Lay, from Chipping Norton, told her how helpful staff at the John Radcliffe Hospital had been, Mrs Green, from Bicester, was determined to do something for the children's hospital.

Mother-of-two Mrs Green, 37, said: "When I spoke to Helen, I realised what a fantastic job the staff do and we decided to run a project through the fund's charity committee to buy presents for the kids and decorations for the wards.

"We have already raised £800 from a non-school uniform day last Friday to buy a Christmas tree and decorations for every ward.

"We are hoping to raise about £500 and that money will go towards buying Christmas presents."

Mother-of-four Mrs Lay, 34, said: "Oliver has had two operations on his heart - the first at eight weeks and the other in April - so we have spent a lot of time at the John Radcliffe and at the children's hospital.

"He has other linked complications which need treatment so we have to come back every three months.

"The cardiac consultant, Dr Neil Wilson, has been wonderful, and I think the school is doing a great job to try to make the children's hospital a home from home at Christmas."

Deborah Tame, 29, a teacher at the school, said: "Pupils at the school have given up their time on a wet Saturday afternoon to raise money for a good cause."

Pupil Harriet Boyle, 13, from Sandford-on-Thames, who helped to collect donations, said at the supermarket: "I have enjoyed doing this for the children's hospital. Shoppers have been very generous."

The children's hospital on the site of the John Radcliffe in Headington opened in January and treats 65,000 patients every year.

The Chox campaign has raised £13.6m towards a £15m target, with the remaining £15m cost of the £30m hospital paid by the Department of Health.

Graham Brogden, spokesman for the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign, said: "It's fantastic when young people go out of their way to raise money for other young people who are less fortunate, particularly at this time of year."