A GROUP of schoolfriends have raised £1,028.78 for a charity which provided “life changing” care for one of their families.

The Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) charity was chosen by 11-year-old Lucy Hall and her friends as part of a school fundraising project.

Lucy and her family wanted to help the charity as a way of giving back after the support they received when her brother became ill.

Rachel Hall, Lucy’s mother, said: “My son [Archie] died two years ago from a brain tumour – it came out of the blue.

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“From [his] diagnosis, we had about 10 weeks.

“We spent his last few weeks in Rachel House, a CHAS hospice in Kinross.

“They looked after us so well.

“They look after the child but they also care for the families.

“His care was life changing.”

Lucy and her friends Ayushi Kumar, Zennor Motley, and Ivy Russell spent lockdown making, baking and crafting goods to sell at West Linton Market.

And at the market on Saturday, November 7, the girls’ efforts didn’t go to waste, as they sold out.

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"I was really impressed that they continued the project," said Ms Hall (44), a lecturer at Edinburgh College. "I thought they'd maybe make £80 but as the day went on loads of people kept giving donations.

"The build up to the day was huge, they were all really excited.

"I wasn't really involved at all – it was all down to their self-motivation.

"They did really well."