PUPILS are bidding to top last year’s fundraising efforts for Macmillan Cancer Support by holding a nearly five-hour coffee marathon.

Rather than just have a coffee morning, Teaching Assistant at Stacksteads’ Fearns Community Sports College Debbie Thompson has arranged for teams of pupils to be running the event all day.

She said: “On Friday October 6 we will have two sessions, the first from 9am to noon and the second from 1pm to 2.45pm.

“Teams of pupils from Years 8 to 11 will be running the event and this includes our Head Boy and Head Girl, prefects, language leaders, literacy leaders, anti-bullying ambassadors and members of the pupil development group.

“Last year we raised an amazing £722 on the day and a further £215 was added by our Deputy Headteacher Jane Panteli who completed a sponsored bike ride and added

“We are hoping to exceed that total and as well as cakes, biscuits and brews, we will also have a tombola, a raffle and a lucky dip.

“Raising money for Macmillan is important because quite a few of us at Fearns know someone who has had cancer or is fighting it.

“Macmillan is a wonderful charity and the pupils at Fearns never let us down when it comes to fundraising. We are a small school but we have a big heart.”

Last year Firefighters from Bacup came along to support the school’s event and they have been sent a personal invitation this year, as have local police officers.

Head Girl Hayley Clayton and Head Boy Taite Johnston, who will both be 16 when the event happens, are looking forward to welcoming parents, governors and members of the community into the school.

Hayley said: “I will be baking a chocolate cake as I enjoy baking and I am taking food technology as one of my GCSEs.”

Taite added: “It is a hard time for people to go through and Macmillan provides support; it is not always easy for family members to be there 24 hours a day.”

As part of European Day of Languages on Tuesday September 26, pupils could have a flag painted on their face to raise money for Macmillan.