Cockermouth children have rallied round to support poor youngsters in Africa by donating lots of rucksacks full of vital kit.

Pupils at Fairfield Primary School heard a talk from the Cockermouth Rotary Club about Mary's Meals, a charity the club has supported for many years.

Four years ago the club, supported by lots of local schools, raised £4,700 to pay for a kitchen, named Cockermouth Kitchen, at a Malawi primary school.

Now they are hoping local schools will support Mary's Meals' latest scheme - to provide pupils with rucksacks containing school items and kit.

Fairfield pupils rose to the challenge and brought in bags and gear, including pens, pencils, rubbers, notebooks, towels, clothes, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Staff have packed everything up into 64 rucksacks and seven boxes, which were handed over to the Rotary club this week, in order to be sent to Africa.

Rotarian Jimmy Wood thanked the school for its support and said: "All these things we are sending out are things we take for granted while children in Malawi will think the world of them."

Rotary president Brian Mitchelhill told pupils: "The children will be as excited as you were on Christmas morning.

"It's all about giving these children the tools they will be able to use in school, to get a good education and make a good life for themselves."

The club is planning to involve other primary schools in the scheme.

Head teacher Chris Steele said: "The children love doing this sort of thing. We focus a lot on generosity and helping others, this project is a lovely one to support."

Pupil Reuben Bone, nine, said: "I think it's a good thing to do as they do not have as much as us."