TWO mums from Colehill have come up with a clever way to help schools short on cash and give parents a thoughtful keepsake at the same time.

When children at Hayeswood First School had to stop swimming lessons because of funding cuts, Kirsty Sedgwick and Hayley Parfett, who both have children at the school, decided they had to act.

So they launched the School Mug Scheme, printing youngsters’ self portraits onto mugs, keyrings, fridge magnets and chopping boards, handing back £2 to the school association for every one sold.

Parents snapped up more than 300 mugs, helping pay for school trips, drum courses and building a garden pond.

Kirsty, mum to Daisy, seven, and George, four, said: “We’re just two mums who came together and came up with a business idea.

“We just got our heads together and wanted to raise money for our school.

“Because of the cut backs we do feel that every Parent Teacher Association is always trying to think of ways to raise money, and with this you get a unique keepsake rather than just handing over the money.”

The pair spend hours in Hayley’s garage trimming the kid’s artwork and using a heat press to produce the gifts.

Kirsty, a former local government worker, said: “I think as a parent it is really nice to have something my son has drawn.

“The whole point is to capture how children see the world, how they see themselves, the Royal family, the Olympics or their own school.

“It can be on anything, the topics are endless.”

Merley First School, Rushcombe First School, Henbury View First School, Springdale First School have signed up, along with nurseries in Alderholt and Boscombe.

West Parley First School wants ‘bags for life’, and the mums – who ran a competition for Hayeswood children to design their company logo – have had enquiries from Cornwall, Kent and London in their first year.

“We haven’t come from business backgrounds so we’re both just finding our way,” Kirsty said.

“With each contract we learn something and are tweaking the business model as we go along but so far so good.

“I cannot see things getting any better for schools in the near future.

“There are some schools out there in dire need of help.”