A HAMPSHIRE school is branching out to help local people living with cancer.

Youngsters at St James School, West End, have set up their own wish tree to help fund a £1m cancer information and support.

centre at Southampton General Hospital.

Pupils Emma Wigmore, 10, and sister Holly, 8, came up with the idea after seeing a wish tree on a visit to Swanage.

The pair decided to ask family and friends to write wishes on lengths of ribbon which they hung on an apple tree in their front garden. It proved such a hit that the girls' mum asked their head teacher if the idea could be used at school.

The sisters sold lengths of ribbon at 20p a time at school - with youngsters scribbling a wish on each before the ribbons were tied to a tree in the school grounds.

Mum Paula Wigmore said: "To see over 200 ribbons fluttering in the wind is a breathtaking sight and knowing that for every wish, a donation is going to Macmillan Cancer Relief's new appeal is amazing."

The Daily Echo-backed appeal has recently hit the half-way mark and building work is already under way. To find out how you can help, call Macmillan Cancer Relief on 023 8023 6367.