CHILDREN at the Stepping Stones Nursery and Pre-Prep School at Froxfield have raised more than £5,400 by means of a sponsored push, toddle and ride and a sponsored swim.

Stepping Stones was established in 1990 and has 99 two to four year olds attending its nursery and 54 five to eight year olds in the pre-preperatory school.

Its children travel in daily from as far away as the Newbury area, Marlborough and from as far as Wanborough near Swindon.

Staff discussed with the children how they could raise funds for the international appeals that followed the devastation caused in Asia by the tsunami that struck on Boxing Day.

Principal Sue Corfield said it was agreed that the best way to make money was to have a sponsored event with all the children taking part.

The nursery children all took part in a sponsored push, toddle and ride on a circuit set up on the school's playground.

Some of the children rode trikes or pedalled cars, others pushed while some chose to walk or run around the circuit.

The older children from the pre-prep school took part in a sponsored swim at Marlborough Leisure Centre. Each child swam as many widths as they could during ten minutes set aside from a swimming lesson.

Mrs Corfield said: "We had explained to the children, even to the little ones, what it was all about and their response was fantastic.

"The children were really revved up for it and loved every minute."

Sponsorship came largely from parents and friends of children at the nursery school and who, said Mrs Corfield, had been extremely generous. Most of the money has gone to the international appeal although some is being directed to a charity planning to set up homes in India for children who have been orphaned by the tsunami.