A MAMMOTH effort by children at a Hampshire school has broken their own high record total for charity.

Pupils at Swanmore Secondary School collected about £5,500 this year for the NSPCC, Southampton General Hospital children's wards, Whizz Kids, Animal Ark, Leukaemia Busters, World Aids Day, MacMillan Cancer Relief and Children In Need.

A team of prefects organised the fundraising and targeted the most deserving good causes, setting themselves the challenging target of £5,000 for the millennium year.

Deputy head teacher Niel McLeod said: "This was a brilliant operation by the prefects, who showed us teachers the way things can be organised. They did it all themselves. They set themselves a very tough target which some doubted they could reach, but they surpassed it. The previous record was between £3,000 to £4,000, which was amazing enough. Everyone who took part deserve praise."

A sponsored silence by pupils raised £1,000 for MacMillan Cancer Relief and a partnership with the Meon Valley Day Care Centre at Swanmore Village Hall raised £1,000 from a sponsored school fun run. Centre manager Denise Griffiths said: "The money has allowed us to extend the centre's programme of activities. It was great to work so closely with the school children.''

Hazel McLean, fund-raising team co-ordinator, said: "We are delighted to have reached this figure."