CHILDREN from a Basingstoke school have presented a cheque to two local charities after raising nearly £400 for them.

The children at Hatch Warren Infant School, in Gershwin Road, raised £386 for Basingstoke Mencap and Basingstoke Foodbank at a Christmas performance at the school and gave each charity £193.

At a cheque presentation event at the school, children from the school council put questions to Catherine Mole, from Basingstoke Mencap, and John Crump, from the Basingstoke Foodbank, to understand more about learning disabilities and food poverty in Basingstoke.

Basingstoke Mencap, based at The Orchard, in White Hart Lane, supports people with learning disabilities along with their families and carers in the borough, and the Basingstoke Foodbank, based in Sarum Hill, provides food for locals in difficult circumstances.

Catherine Mole, office and development manager at Basingstoke Mencap, said: “It is great to have the chance to talk to young people about learning disabilities, and to make sure they are not afraid of differences as early as possible in their lives.

“We are so grateful for the support we have had from Hatch Warren Infant School to support more people in the community.”