LITTLE swimmers donned their pyjamas and raised £1,459 for charity at the Puddle Ducks annual swimming event.

The money will be donated to the Poole Hospital Charity and Dorset Cancer Centre.

Dorset and West Hants baby and children swim school, Puddle Ducks, host a charity PJ Week each year, where children raise money for a local cause by learning water safety dressed in their favourite pyjamas.

Dorset Cancer Centre is based at Poole Hospital and is the major specialist cancer treatment centre for adults in the county.

The centre provides a wide range of treatments, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy for both common and rare cancers. At the moment, the charity are raising money for radiotherapy equipment, something that will hugely benefit local people.

Puddle Ducks owner Jane Bozic said: “In 2017 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma and had to undergo six months of chemotherapy – a gruelling regime every two weeks.

“During this time I got to see just how fantastic the people are that work in our local hospitals, therefore, I was absolutely delighted to see that the Poole Hospital Charity was selected by our customers as the worthy recipient of our charity PJ Week.

“The week was a huge amount of fun, children and parents all came eager to learn and ready to experience swimming in their pyjamas and they all really enjoyed themselves. We are so proud of all the children, past and present, who have taken part in our charity PJ Week and helped us to raise so much money for a charity that is so close to our hearts.”

There was also a serious reason behind the fun event, as the youngsters learned a valuable life skill.

Most people come into danger around water while fully clothed, said Ms Bozic, who added that being in pyjamas provides the children with a good indication of what it would be like and gives them confidence and skills should they ever be in a dangerous situation.

Visit puddleducks.com/local-teams/dorset for more information.