Around 140 Sidbury children will be talking part in a sponsored walk to raise much needed funds for their school extension.

The youngsters, who are all aged between four and 11 years old, will be walking around a mile and a half from their school, in Church Street, to Sidbury Manor.

The event, which will take place on Friday (February 23), is the first of many being held as part of a fundraising campaign to raise £5,000 for new outdoor and indoor equipment.

Parent governor Emily Monks said Sidbury School was building an extension to help cope with the increased number of students, which they’d had recently.

The new building will be used by the key stage one children, aged between four and seven years old.

Emily said they were hoping to raise £1,000 from the sponsored walk and hoped the whole village would get behind the campaign and support the children who were taking part.

She added they would be holding a host of events over the rest of the school year, in hopes they could reach their target before the end of the summer term in July.

Among the events being held will be a number of school discos, a curry and auction night, a bingo night and a spinning challenge on the seafront, with the help of Bike Sidmouth.

Emily said they were planning to get spinning bikes out on the seafront which the children would then take turns on to cycle a certain distance, helping to raise sponsorship money and hopefully gain support from people in the town.

She added: “We hope lots of people will support us and get us off to a good start by supporting the children.

“Our children will be leaving the school at 1pm and walking 1.4 miles to Sidbury Manor, where there will get to enjoy refreshments outside the house.

“We are delighted that Sir John Cave is supporting the event and is very much behind the school.”

Emily said a number of parents were also completing personal challenges to help raise the much needed funds.

A Just Giving page will be soon be set up for anyone wanting to support the children. Watch this space for more information.