HUNDREDS of staff and pupils from Lytchett Minster School will take part in their annual sandwalk on Friday in a bid to raise money for charity.

The school has organised the walk from Sandbanks to Bournemouth Pier and back every year since 1996.

Last year marked the first time the school chose not to support Cancer Research UK - instead donating money to Asthma UK in memory of former student Ed Kent.

Ed, who was aged just 13, died of an asthma attack on November 14, 2015

This year the school will again be walking in memory of Ed, but this time donations will be going to The Ed Kent Trust - a foundation set up by his parents and sister in his memory.

The aim of the foundation is to support youngsters in Dorset who have a passion for cricket or percussion.

Any money raised from Friday's walk will be split between the Trust and Macmillan Caring Locally - which supported former maths teacher Christine Peggrem.

Ms Peggrem died in November last year just weeks after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. She was 52 at the time.

This charity supported Miss Peggrem in her final days and has been identified by her husband as a cause she would have wished to support.

Speaking at a school memorial service in December Lytchett Minster headteacher Andrew Mead described Ms Peggrem as an “exceptional lady who has touched our lives in so many ways”.

On Friday the entire school of 1,000 students and 100 staff will walk the 12-mile round-trip between Sandbanks and the Pier in light green t-shirts - the colour most associated with Macmillan.

The school say they expect to raise around £20,000 for the charities - which is roughly the amount they raise every year.

As is tradition, the total raised for this year’s walk will be announced on the last day of term at the school.