PRE-SCHOOL children are discovering that ‘charity begins at home’ as part of their learning at nursery.

Children from Holyrood Nursery Astley and Holyrood Nursery Gin Pit, including 30 plus other nurseries in the Bertram Nursery group, have decided to support Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, as their Charity of the Year.

Still reeling from their success in raising £7,866.02 for Comic Relief Red Nose Day 2015 children of Astley are now busy planning a series of fundraising activities to take place from the end of May to the end of June.

The children have chosen ‘fairy and elf’ as their theme which includes family fun nights, fairy and elf tea parties, summer fayres, picnics, parents’ evenings and sponsored walks.

Graeme Scott, Bertram Nursery Group CEO, has pledged to match all funds raised for Sands by parents and staff in May and June.

Louise Maxwell,of Charity Support for Bertram Nursery Group, said: “Bertram Nursery Group has a vision to see charity and community support working at the heart of our society and is especially committed to charities which care for children.

‘It assists in our goal to teach children in our care to be responsible citizens and effective contributors, helping to make the world a better place.”

Sands supports anyone affected by the death of a baby; works in partnership with health professionals to improve the quality of care and services offered to bereaved families; and promotes and funds research and changes in practice that could help to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.

Neal Long, chief executive of Sands said:“We are delighted that the staff and especially the children of Bertram Nurseries are supporting Sands as their charity of the year.

"With their help we can continue to support families whose baby has died, improve the care families receive and work to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.”