A MUM in Twyford has started up her own charity making superhero-style capes for disadvantaged children around the world.

Claudia Beard, 34, from Bourne Fields, begun I Am Super Capes last year after catching the charity bug while raising money for people in the Philippines whose lives were devastated by typhoon Haiyan.

The village managed to donate a staggering 350 shelter boxes to the people of Cebu near the south.

Now Claudia makes and sends superhero capes to sick and underprivileged children throughout the world and, to promote the new cause, hosted a superhero-themed day (April 3) at her local primary school Twyford St. Mary’s where her son, Broden, attends.

“It was a fantastic day,” she said. “It wasn’t just the traditional superheroes either; there was one child dressed as Captain Pants wearing little white briefs outside his trousers and another was wearing a wetsuit with a mask.

“There was an imaginative array of costumes and the children loved it. Even the teachers got dressed up and one of them was Mrs Incredible. It was just great for them to be involved as well.”

“Every child deserves to be a superhero, no matter who they are, where they live, whatever they are going through,” Claudia said. “Every child deserves the right to be a child, to have some time to be able to get away from the hardships and stress of the situation or environment they are in.

“That is why I Am Superhero capes was born. We want to send capes to these children to help light up their imaginations, to give them a moment of respite from what is around them.”

Claudia, who lives with her husband, Warren and two other sons, Chase and Trent, was initially inspired after reading about a woman in Seattle in the USA who makes capes for children ill in hospital.

“I am not ashamed to admit I got very teary-eyed and inspired reading what she does and how it transforms these little fighters,” she added. “So that is where I Am Super Capes was born. It’s something to relight their imagination, something that is just for them, that is bright, captivating and as my 7-year-old says, something to give them the power to be children.”

To find out more visit iamsupercapes.co.uk.