MEON Valley schoolchildren have raised more than £1,000 for the Mayor of Winchester’s charities.

Children at Wickham Primary School released 264 balloons on Monday (April 22) to raise cash for the Royal Hampshire County Hospital Magic Wand Appeal, The Felix Fund bomb disposal charity and Bishop’s Waltham Community Responders.

People paid £5 to enter a balloon with their name and address inside and the balloon which travels the furthest will win that person £100.

Mayor Frank Pearson said the event was great fun and enjoyed by all the children.

He said: “It was great fun and the whole school was out with 250 children enjoying themselves. The wind was blowing the balloons towards Kent so you never know, one of them could end up in Denmark or Scandinavia.”

Event organiser and Wickham ward councillor Therese Evans said she was pleased to continue fundraising efforts for the Mayor’s charities.

She said: “I always organise something for the Mayor’s charities and this was something I did before in 2000 in Abbey Gardens, but this year we thought it would be something nice for the primary school.

“It was a unique opportunity for the school and everybody had lots of fun.”