BIG-hearted youngsters at Cradley CE Primary School smashed their £500 target to raise almost £3,000 to help cancer sufferers and African children in need.

They were responding to a rallying call by year six classmate Owen Atkins, aged 11, whose mum, Theresa Weinmann, is battling against cancer.

The pupils raised £2,900 with a sponsored ‘pink and blue’ fun run and a raffle organised by mums Helen Rock and Tonia Tibbetts, whose children are in Owen’s class.

Headteacher Marcia Harris said staff and parents joined in with the run and described the amount of money raised as “amazing” for a school of just 199 pupils.

“The community, as always, got behind the event and it was a really special day,” she added.

The children also gathered in the playground to form a huge heart shape for an aerial photograph followed by a balloon release.

Mrs Weinmann, aged 44, attended and gave each girl a pink hair slide she had made and each boy a bag of blue and white sweets.

The proceeds will be split, with £2,000 going to the Georginia cancer ward at Russells Hall Hospital, as a thank you for the treatment she has received.

A further £800 is being donated to the Royal Marsden Hospital where she has also been cared for and a further £100, at Owen’s request, will provide lunches for children at the Tanzania school which Cradley CE supports.

Mrs Rock and Mrs Tibbetts and their children are also taking part in the Cancer Research UK Race for Life at Himley Hall and Park on July 13.