MORE than 250 students from Okehampton College gathered to present money raised during an annual sponsored walk last year.

Three cheques of £3,200 each were presented to the British Red Cross, Cancer Research and Devon Air Ambulance.

The money was raised last September when the students took part in a six to ten-mile charity walk across Dartmoor.

They collected the funds over several months before making a decision on which charities they wanted to support.

College assistant principal Jean Harris said the walk brought the whole school together.

She said: 'We have regular charity walks in September, depending on the weather.

'The lovely thing is that everybody in the college takes part, including the staff.

'We have been doing it for the last five years and in total we've raised around £13,000 for charities.'

Mrs Harris said the walk allowed everyone the opportunity to socialise and learn together. Tutors took their pupils and walked in mixed groups from years 7 to 11.

'The important thing about it is that it encourages the older students to support and mix with the younger students in the tutor group.

'The turnout is always very good and they enjoy it because it's so different from normal lessons.

'When the weather is lovely it's much easier and it helps make the walk run more smoothly.

'We also make sure there are sixth form marshals who are checking that all the students are present and the college lays on lots of emergency services.

'For some of the students, very few of them ever walk on the moor — we've got this fantastic resource that's hardly ever used and it's great they can go out there and raise the money.

'We are all looking forward to doing it again in September.'